London mayor Boris Johnson has joined Labour MP David Lammy in calling for the controversial easing of laws to allow smacking of children by their parents in Britain.

Mr Lammy, whose constituency in London bore the worst brunt of last year’s riots, advocated that working-class parents must be allowed to be able to use corporal punishment on their children to keep them from straying.

The Labour government under then Prime Minister Tony Blair introduced a law in 2004, Children Act, which only allows parents to smack their children, but without causing the "reddening of the skin".

Mr Lammy linked the outbreak last summer’s riots to lack of discipline by parents. "Many came up to me after the riots and blamed the Labour government, saying: ‘You guys stopped us being able to smack our children.’

Related Articles Most children can’t run, hop or catch 11 child labourers rescued in Uttar Pradesh 1098 saves 21 million kids across nation '20 million orphaned children in India' Children watch TV, doctors see trouble Related Images

"When this was first raised, I was pretty disparaging. But I started to listen. These parents are scared to smack children, paranoid that social workers will get involved and take their children away," Mr Lammy said.