Sadiq Khan says he could raise council tax to maximum amount to help pay for policing London's streets

Sadiq Khan has said he is likely to raise council tax by the maximum amount possible next year to help pay for policing London’s streets.

It would be the second year in a row the mayor has opted for the biggest tax hike available to him.

He said he felt let down by the Government’s police settlement, which gave police and crime commissioners the green light to ask for an extra £2 a month per band D household.

Mr Khan hit out at Home Secretary Sajid Javid’s settlement, before saying: “I probably will be using the powers to raise council tax as much as I am allowed to do so to use that money for more policing."

The Mayor told BBC London: "What I am doing is making sure I fill the hole left by the massive cuts in policing and I'll be announcing my budget this week in relation to what more money I can give to policing by raising council tax and other tools I've got in my toolkit."

Asked if he was going to "go to the maximum again", Mr Khan said: "I'm not going to pretend that I don't feel let down... If you listen to what his [Mr Javid's] police settlement was.

"He gave us a bit of money to deal with a pensions problem they created and he gave us the power to raise council tax. It's a regressive taxation system to try and fill some of the hole left behind by a billion pounds worth of cuts so it's no surprise, I probably will be using the powers to raise council tax as much as I am allowed to do so to use that money for more policing."

It comes after Mr Khan was told to take “drastic action” on violent crime as it was revealed London’s murder rate for 2018 is the highest in a calendar year this decade.

The mayor was warned that Londoners are “heartbroken” to hear about the carnage on the capital’s streets and the impact it has had on communities.

Members of the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee said they were concerned about the lack of detail around Mr Khan’s plans for a Violence Reduction Unit (VRU).