London Mayor Boris Johnson said today that more work needs to be done to smash the false glamour that surrounds knife and gang crime.

Mr Johnson said violent street crime is "moronic and wasteful" and that no-one should be under any illusion that it is romantic.

He said he is pleased knife crime is now at the top of the political agenda and added that he is determined to tackle the scourge over the next four years.

Speaking at a meeting of the Home Affairs Select Committee today, Mr Johnson said knife crime is not an insoluble problem and with patience it is possible to make progress.

He said: "My heart sinks when I hear and read of some of the language used to describe some of the victims of knife crime by other members of gangs.

"This stuff about You were a good soldier' or Fallen soldier', we do need as repeatedly as possible as a society to detonate the myth that there is anything romantic or glamorous about these tragic episodes."

Mr Johnson said figures respected by young people, such as Manchester United footballer Rio Ferdinand, should be recruited to "speak against the evils of carrying knives".

He added: "We need to deglamorise knife crime and make clear to people that this is moronic and wasteful.

"This is not the death of Mercutio taking place on the streets of London."

Asked to explain his reference to the character from William Shakespeare's play Romeo And Juliet, Mr Johnson said: "It is a guy called Mercutio who is killed in a gang fight.

"It is worth studying the text because it does teach you something about the bogus atmosphere of glamour that can surround these gangs and the sort of romantic, sentimental feelings that can start to occur with knife crime and gang culture generally."

Mr Johnson said he supported proposals to make casualty unit staff report patients with knife wounds as they do with gun crime victims.

He said: "I think we should look at making sure that hospitals are similarly useful in dealing with knife crime by reporting knife wounds.

"There is an argument to be had about whether or not this would deter people from seeking medical attention in the case of knife wounds.

"We need to look at the possible adverse impact that policy might have on those that have been wounded."