London mayor backs comments on 'broken' penal system

Britain's Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke was right when he said a broken penal system needs to be tackled in the wake of the riots, London Mayor Boris Johnson said today.

Mr Clarke was justified in saying the riots were the result of a system that fails to stop “a feral underclass” reoffending, Mr Johnson said.

His comments came after he was shown footage of the violence and looting that hit England as he appeared before MPs.

He said Mr Clarke was “on the right lines this morning when he talked about problems in the justice system”.

“Seventy-five per cent of those arrested do have criminal records,” Mr Johnson said.

“We need to ask as a society what is happening to these people (after they have been jailed). How are we changing their lives so they don’t come out again and go back to gangs?”

Mr Johnson told MPs on the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee: ``Out of these events good must come.

“We have got to look at issues around members of, as Ken Clarke referred to them this morning, members of the feral criminal underclass.

“We also need to look at what’s going on with the police.”

He added he was looking at asking officers away on long-term sick leave to fill back office jobs to enable warranted officers to be on the front line.