London satisfaction with mayor Boris Johnson rises

Boris Johnson recognises progress made over the past year but says there is still much to do

A third of Londoners are satisfied with Boris Johnson's performance as mayor, according to his annual London survey.

The 32% score is the highest level of satisfaction since he took office three years ago, comparing with 26% in 2010.

Some 15% were dissatisfied while 54% came down on neither side of the fence. The survey of 1,400 people also suggests fear of crime has fallen.

But Mr Johnson's mayoral rival Ken Livingstone pointed to a growing perception of less police on the beat.

The number of people who said they had seen less police about has risen from 16% in 2007 to 29% this year.

According to the survey, 64% of Londoners are not worried about crime in their local area, compared to 54% last year.

Fear of being mugged or attacked on the street has dropped significantly, from 30% last year to 18% this year.

Gun crime was 22% lower in London 2010/11 compared with 2009/10, while robbery on public transport has fallen by 46.5% in the past three years.

Javed Khan, chief executive for the charity Victim Support, said: "We are pleased that this report shows more Londoners feel safer in the capital, but we shouldn't become complacent in the fight against crime.

"While the continued fall in crime is a reflection of the hard work of the police and criminal justice agencies, we must remember that nearly 60% of crime is still unreported."

Mr Johnson said: "We have achieved a lot over the past year, such as freezing the council tax for the third consecutive year and increasing funding for policing.

"But we can't rest on our laurels as there is still much to do, not least the challenge of staging the best games in Olympic history and creating a lasting legacy for all Londoners."

The survey also found that 48% of people thought London needed cheaper Tube and bus fares - the third year-on-year rise in a row.

A spokesman for Ken Livingstone said: "It is telling that Boris Johnson's own opinion poll shows what we are finding across London.

Mayor 'spins statistics'

"On crime and public transport Londoners do not support the mayor's police cuts and fare increases."

Caroline Pidgeon, leader of the Lib Dem group on the London Assembly, said: "As much as the mayor might try to spin the results, the harsh fact is that under Boris Johnson a growing number of Londoners have serious concerns about the cost of living in the capital, including the huge hike in fares that have taken place in the last three years."

The survey was carried out by BMG Research, who interviewed the respondents in their own homes.