The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has pulled the plug on the plan for a garden bridge across the Thames.

Mr Khan said he would not provide financial guarantees needed for construction work to start.

In a letter to the Garden Bridge Trust he said he would not guarantee funds for the bridge's operation and maintenance.

Mr Khan said: "I have always been clear that not a penny more of taxpayers’ money should be allocated to the project. Having assessed all the information available to me including the findings of Dame Margaret Hodge's independent review, my view is that providing Mayoral guarantees will expose the London taxpayer to too much additional financial risk.

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"With planning permission due to expire this year, many outstanding issues remain, including spiralling construction costs and doubts around funding the maintenance of the bridge.

"The funding gap is now at over £70m and it appears unlikely that the Trust will succeed in raising the private funds required for the project."

(CD)