Boris Johnson wants PM job if sufficient support

London mayor Boris Johnson has told students from Lambeth that he would want to be prime minister if he had sufficient support, but has played down the chances of it happening.

As part of BBC News School Report, pupils from The Norwood School interviewed Mr Johnson on a range of topics, including crime, the Olympic legacy and his own future career ambitions.

"If people genuinely wanted me [as prime minister] of course I would want to do it," he said.

"If I were to be called from my plough to serve in that office I wouldn't of course say no.

"But the chances of that are about as good as my being reincarnated as an olive.

"What I want to do is get on and do the best job that I can as mayor of London and that is all I can reasonably focus on at the moment."

The six students travelled to City Hall inspired by their previous interviews with the Trident department of The Metropolitan Police and George the Poet.

And they arrived armed with a plethora of questions for the mayor, and despite never having interviewed a political figure before, they asked their questions with confidence and determination leading even the mayor to comment on the level of challenge they presented.

Beginning with the success of the Olympics, the students wanted to question Johnson on the lottery strategy for the purchase of tickets before moving on for reassurances that he was still dedicated to providing young people with sporting and leisure facilities.

Further challenges put to him included the situation amongst gangs in the capital, with a focus on the issue of knife crime, as well as the students' own experiences of travel delays on public transport.

But the climax of the interview arrived at the end, when one of the students asked whether Johnson aspired to be prime minister.

Johnson affirms that PM is his ambition

The Norwood School students thoroughly enjoyed the experience, with several expressing a desire to move into the world of media and broadcast as a result. They all commented on how friendly and open the mayor had been to their questioning, despite the challenges they presented him with.

Francesco, aged 12, said: "I was excited to meet the mayor of London - but now I'm even more excited to hear about his plans for a potential youth club or sports facilities in Norwood!"

Ola, aged 13, commented on his approach to the interview.

"It was a very unique experience," she added. "Everyone had warned me that politicians speak around the point, so I just wanted to be direct with him."

This 2013 report was produced as part of BBC News School Report.