London Mayor hopeful Brian Paddick visited the Sutton Guardian last week to talk about why he should be London Mayor, his views on Sutton and the London riots.

The controversial ex-copper, is no stranger to defeat; he was overwhelmed by Boris Johnson and Ken Livingstone in the 2008 London Mayoral election and in the same year was voted out of the jungle in ITV show, I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.

However, the 53-year-old who was former deputy assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and Britain’s most senior openly gay policeman, insisted he is the man to succeed where Boris Johnson has failed, particularly in areas such as Sutton.

He has a vested interest in Sutton as a former Sutton Grammar School pupil and a 92-year-old mother who still lives in the borough.

He said: "The last Mayoral election Boris Johnson called Ken Livingstone a ‘zone one mayor’ when he has done exactly that.

“The cycling scheme is costing London taxpayers millions of pounds but this isn’t affecting people in Sutton.

“Boris Johnson, despite saying he would look after the suburbs, he hasn’t.

“The Routemaster bus project is all about investing in central London; they are taxing outer London to spend in central, this is just not fair.

“Bus fares have gone up by 55 per cent under Boris; this disproportionately affects people in South London.”

He suggested that Sutton’s residents would benefit from the Lib Dem campaign for a one hour bus ticket which would enable passengers to change from bus to bus without having to buy a new ticket.

When quizzed about his views on Sutton’s experience of the riots, he said: “It is a mixed picture - I was in Redbridge recently and like Sutton the police did an excellent job.”

“But, perhaps it was a half-hearted approach by the [Sutton] rioters who decided to go to Croydon instead."

Nevertheless, he complimented Sutton police's “brave and positive actions”.

“If the Met had dealt with Tottenham on the Saturday night then this would not have spread to the rest of the country."

Whatever the perception of Brian Paddick, he is determined that the 2012 London Mayoral election will be different; he has undergone the transition from policeman to politician and is ready to face his rivals.