Stand in line, orders Ken

Mayor Ken Livingstone wants police to order bus passengers to queue in a straight line.

He also wants officers to arrest people who spit in the street or drop litter, in his drive to make London a more civilised city.

He said he will instruct the new teams of community officers being introduced across the capital from April to crack down on anti-social behaviour. Their duties will involve preventing passengers jumping the queue when a bus turns up. He said he endorses the "broken windows" approach of New York police, where officers take a "zero tolerance" approach to minor crimes in the hope of preventing more major offences. The new teams, each comprising three police and three police community support officers, are being introduced in three council wards in each of the 32 boroughs overseen by the Met.

They will be paid for by an increase in the Mayor's share of the council tax, which will add £17 to an average London household's bill from April. The aim is to roll out the scheme across the capital in the next year.

On BBC London radio today, Mr Livingstone said: "I want these police arresting people for spitting and dropping litter... they're there to enforce all the laws, not just the big sexy ones that get the headlines." He admitted: "There will be a painful learning curve," but added: "I think the majority of people would prefer a more civilised city, even if we have to pay fines.

"Broadly what I want is not people before the courts, but people to stop doing it."

He also called for parking attendants to face harsh penalties if they abuse their posit ion. Council- employed wardens are to get new powers to issue fines to motorists who perform illegal U-turns, stop in yellow box junctions, drive the wrong way down a one-way street and abuse bus lanes.

Mr Livingstone said: "There have got to be real penalties on them if they abuse their power - the sack or probably even a criminal prosecution."

He trimmed back his council tax demand today for the second time. The £17 a year extra he is now seeking is down £10 on initial plans, but still an annual increase of 7.5 per cent.