London Mayor Ken Livingstone could walk away with a £90,000 payoff if he fails to be re-elected for another term.

Members of the London assembly and the Mayor are set to vote on their own severance payments in April.

The legislation is due to come into force for the May polls in the capital, meaning a windfall for Livingstone if he fails to be re-elected.

The proposal is for the Mayor to be paid a month's salary for each year in office, meaning Livingstone, who would have served eight years by then, would receive £91,719.

The news comes as Channel 4's Dispatches programme is set to examine whether Mr Livingstone has drunk alcohol during working hours.

The programme, due to be aired a week on Monday, claims it tested a glass used by the Mayor at a London event and found traces of alcohol.

The Mayor has labelled the programme as "dirty tricks" by his opponents, while the Conservatives, whose candidate is gaffe-prone Boris Johnson, have tried to distance themselves from the accusations, denying any involvement.