Boris Johnson's garden bridge scheme scrapped
Boris Johnson's controversial £200million Garden Bridge project has been scrapped amid angry claims it was a 'waste' of taxpayers' money.
Backers of the controversial plan conceded defeat and closed down the charity set up to build and run the crossing in the centre of the capital.
The scheme had been championed by Mr Johnson while he was London mayor, and more than £37 million of public money had already been sunk into it.
But the scheme, which were also backed by actress Joanna Lumley, were effectively killed off by his Labour successor Sadiq Khan in April when he failed to guarantee the bridge.
Mr Johnson angrily hit out at the decision, saying: 'So sad Sadiq Khan has killed Garden Bridge and wasted so much time and money. Labour has no vision for London and no ambition.'
Boris Johnson and Joanna Lumley both championed the Garden bridge project, which was intended to provide an oasis of greenery and calm across the busy capital city
The Garden Bridge, pictured, was planned for the River Thames in London. But it was scrapped amid concerns at the spiralling cost of the project, which was expected to cost £200million
'The Garden Bridge was a beautiful project and could have been easily financed.
'The Labour mayor claimed to support it but killed it out of spite because it was not initiated in his period of office.'
But the Labour mayor said Londoners would be 'very angry' that taxpayers had lost tens of millions on a project that has come to nothing.
While a City Hall source claimed the bridge was a 'Boris vanity project' and said Mr Khan had been 'crystal clear since before he took office that he was not prepared to commit new taxpayers' money to the project'.
The Garden Bridge Trust (GBT) said it was a 'sad day' for London because the failure to build the bridge sent a 'message to the world that we can no longer deliver such exciting projects'.
Mr Khan said in April he would not provide support for the plans because it would leave taxpayers in the capital at risk of higher bills.
It followed a damning report by Dame Margaret Hodge that recommended ditching the bridge because it was 'difficult to justify further public investment' in the project, which was likely to end up costing more than £200 million.
Mr Khan said: 'It's my duty to ensure taxpayers' money is spent responsibly.
Labour London Mayor Sadiq Khan effectively put the final nail in the coffin of the project back in April when he refused to give guarantees that the project would go ahead. He said Londoners will be really angry that millions of pounds of taxpayers sank has been sunk into it
'Following the very serious issues highlighted in Dame Margaret Hodge's independent review of the bridge, including a funding gap of over £70 million, potentially unlimited costs to London taxpayers to fund the bridge in the future, systemic failings in the procurement process and decisions not being driven by value for money, I could not permit a single penny more of London taxpayers' money being spent on it.
'I have been clear since before I became mayor that no more London taxpayers' money should be spent on this project and when I took office I gave the Garden Bridge Trust time to try and address the multiple serious issues with it.
'Londoners will, like me, be very angry that London taxpayers have now lost tens of millions of pounds committed by the previous mayor on a project that has amounted to nothing.'
But chairman of the Garden Bridge trust Lord Mervyn Davies said: 'We are incredibly sad that we have not been able to make the dream of the Garden Bridge a reality and that the mayor does not feel able to continue with the support he initially gave us.
'We had made great progress, obtaining planning permission, satisfying most of our planning conditions and we had raised £70 million of private money towards the project.'