People from all over London flocked to Battersea to attend a People’s Question Time with the Mayor last night.

Boris Johnson and members of the Greater London Assembly took to the stage at the Battersea Arts Centre in Lavender Hill to take questions from members of the public about the issues that concern them in the capital.

The panel was quizzed about transport and environmental issues as well as recent concerns over ticket allocations for Londoners for the 2012 Olympic games.

Prior to proceedings, Putney residents’ action group Stop The Shaft held banners and placards outside the venue, campaigning against the possibility of Thames Water building a drive shaft on Barn Elms playing fields for its Thames Tunnel project.

When questioned about it, the Mayor was critical of the original plans in Wandsworth for the "super sewer".

He said: “All I can say is that I think Thames Water were really trying it on to begin with and I think some of the proposals they made were outrageous.

“I am delighted they are now scaling them back and I very much hope what they have undertaken to move the excavation from Barn Elms will be carried through and believe me, we will be following this with a lynx-like attention.”

The Mayor also expressed his support for extending the Barclays ‘Boris’ bikes scheme out of central london and into the south-west of the city.

He said: “Of course, we want to extend it here, I want to see more of the big blue bicycles going along cycle super highway seven all the way down here as well.”

On the issue of policing, Mr Johnson announced that he is continuing to keep up police numbers as well as safeguarding all safer neighbourhood teams throughout the whole of London.

He said: “In spite of the mass fiscal crunch the country is facing, we have secured a very good financial settlement for London which will mean over this mayoralty (2008-2012) there will be a net increase of more than 1,000 police officers and it is absolutely vital that we keep numbers high.

“As well, every single safer neighbourhood team will be preserved and we will continue to have a safer neighbourhood team for each one of London’s 638 wards.”

When asked his thoughts on this week’s announcement that Clapham Common will be used as a campsite as part of the royal wedding celebrations, Mr Johnson supported the idea.

He said: "All I can say is that Im delighted that Lambeth has decided to celebrate the royal wedding in this vivid way and it shows you that even lefties love the royals and when it comes down to it they are all going to be there cheering on, buying the tea towels, buying the mugs, watching it all, they’re going to love it and this is a symptom of the natural exuberant support of the royal family."

However, a spokesman from the Mayor's office has said: "The Mayor has since made clear that he believes Lambeth Council was wrong to not have consulted on its proposals with residents or users of the park who will be affected during the royal wedding weekend."

Before the question time, Mr Johnson spoke to the Wandsworth Guardian about the issue of the future management of Richmond Park.

The Royal Parks, which currently runs London’s parks, is set to become part of the Mayor’s office in 2012.

He said: ”Whatever happens with the Royal Parks, the boroughs in which the parks are situated are going to have a major role and we are setting up a structure so that they can have a big input one way or another. It won’t be all be run from city hall.”