London mayoral candidates call for Oxford Street to be pedestrianised

Five candidates running for London mayor next year have said they will support the banning of vehicles on Oxford Street.

The Conservative Party's Zac Goldsmwith said he backed the jdea as he vowed to "do everything necessary" to make cycling safer.

Labour candidate Sadiq Khan said pedestrianising Oxford Street was part of his vision of "expanding the number of car-free areas across the city".

The Green Party's Sian Berry, the Liberal Democrats' Caroline Pidgeon and Independent candidate Rosalind Readhead have all previously said they supported the move.

Stop Killing Cyclists co-founder Donnachadh McCarthy said the election provided an "urgent opportunity" to speed up improving London for cyclists.

In an interview with ITV News London he said the group were delighted that all candidates were united behind the plans, and said it would be an opportunity to transform Oxford Street from an appallingly polluted street into a "fantastic shopping environment".

Westminster City Council have warned that businesses are not in favour of the plans, and said they were already working with Transport for London to reduce the amount of buses on the street.