London mayor slates striking Tube crews

London's mayor has launched an angry attack against unions as the latest Tube strike got under way last night, describing the industrial action as "irresponsible, politically-motivated nonsense".

Boris Johnson said the series of 24-hour stoppages by the Rail Maritime and Transport union and the Transport Salaried Staffs Association were a "political attack" on the coalition government.

Activists started mounting picket lines outside Tube stations as thousands of workers prepared to strike from 7pm, which was expected to cause travel chaos during today's rush hour.