Mayor slams home nimbys

Ken Livingstone today issued an uncompromising warning that he will "crush" opposition to his plans to build another 120,000 homes around London.

In an exclusive Evening Standard interview, the Mayor declared extra homes were urgently needed and he had no truck with critics who think the capital is too overcrowded to take more.

Attacking his opponents for taking a "stupid approach" and condemning "a real outbreak of nimbyism" in boroughs affected, he insisted London must grow.

Mr Livingstone has forged an alliance with Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott to overcome-opposition to plans for 30,000 new homes a year.

The Mayor insisted he would not let standards fall in the rush to build.

" If something ' s bloody ugly I will refuse it," he said. "No developer should think that now we've got the London Plan we can do second-rate schemes."