'OK, Man or mouse...': Boris Johnson to be blasted by water cannon to 'prove they're safe'

London Mayor Boris Johnson agreed to be hosed down by a police water cannon to prove that they are safe to be used on the streets.

12:57 12 June 2014

London Mayor Boris Johnson has accepted the challenge to be hosed down by a police water cannon to prove that they are safe to be used on the streets. This is in relation to his decision to buy three left-hand-drive water cannon trucks despite the fact that he is yet to get the approval from the Home Office.

 

He argued that refitting the second-hand vehicles for £130,000 would save £2.4 million compared to having to acquire new ones.

 

The official spokesman for the Prime Minister commented on the news saying: “The right process is going on, with the police and police authorities working with the Home Office, which has decisions to take around licensing and regulatory aspects of it.”

 

Meanwhile, Home Secretary Theresa May said that she would carry out a “proper” consideration of the health and safety implications of water cannons before reaching a decision. 

 

She added: “Let me be clear about the timetable. The Metropolitan Police started talking about water cannon after the riots in August 2011. The police have to put a case for water cannon. They didn’t put a group together to do that until January 2013 and they did not submit that case to the Home Office until March 2014.”