Livingstone under pressure over size zero models

Ken Livingstone has been urged to take moral leadership and withdraw funding from London Fashion Week because of the use of "stick-thin" models.

The Mayor came under fierce attack today from one of the most senior politicians in London for failing to act as decisively as he has done to champion causes such as climate change.

It came after his London Development Agency reneged on a promise last year to withdraw its funding of around £200,000 a year for London Fashion Week, which starts on Saturday.

Len Duvall, the chairman of both the Metropolitan Police Authority and the Greater London Labour party and one of Mr Livingstone's closest allies, said young girls were starving themselves to death because of the lead being given by the fashion industry.

His comments came as Mr Livingstone himself admitted he would ban size zero models if he had the power.

The Mayor told a meeting of the London Assembly: "I would be quite happy to ban under size models throughout the entire fashion world.

"A lot of the women on catwalks look disturbing. The idea that anything about this is attractive is just bizarre."