London mayor saves woman from girl gang

London mayor Boris Johnson came to the rescue of a woman who was attacked by a girl gang - one of whom was wielding an iron bar.

Climate change activist and film-maker Franny Armstrong was surrounded by a group of hoodie-wearing young girls.

"I was texting on my phone so didn't notice the girls until they pushed me against the car, quite hard," Ms Armstrong told Britain's Press Association.

"I noticed that one had an iron bar in her hand - it was very frightening. At that moment a man cycled past and I called out for help."

The cyclist was London's eccentric mayor Boris Johnson.

The hero mayor picked up the dropped iron bar and pedalled off in pursuit of girl gang, calling them "oiks," Ms Armstrong said.

He then returned an insisted on walking her home, prompting her to describe him as her "knight on a shining bicycle."

She did, however, note that she had voted for Johnson's rival Ken Livingstone in the mayoral elections but said: "If you find yourself down a dark alleyway and in trouble I think Boris would be of more use than Ken."


- NZ HERALD STAFF