Ken Livingstone has launched his policing strategy as part of his bid to win a third term as London mayor.

Defending the capital from terrorists, tackling crimes against women, dealing with youth murders and drug crime and increasing the diversity of the Metropolitan police would be his five priorities if re-elected.

Livingstone said: "The central pledge in this manifesto is to continue to reduce crime in London by six per cent a year over the next four years.

"This pledge can be made entirely realistically on the basis of the policies which have already resulted in crime in London falling for five years in a row.

"The rate of decline is accelerating with crime falling by 1.9 per cent in 2004, 4.4 per cent in 2005, 5.9 per cent in 2006, and 6.1 per cent in 2007."

Despite media attention on youth killings in recent times Livingstone said that the murder rate was going down.

"The number of murders in London has fallen every year for the last five years, from 222 in 2003 to 160 last year.

"This is a reduction in murder by 28 per cent – even more than the 19 per cent fall in crime in the same period. Rape has fallen by 25 per cent. Gun crime by 22 per cent. Racist crime has been reduced by 55 per cent while I have been in office."

The mayor cited the fact that he had funded 6,000 more police officers and more than 4,000 community support officers led to the reduction in crime in London.

"I will continue this by adding a further 1,000 officers this year," he added.