LONDON, UK (ANS) -- A key British political figure has praised the work of Street Pastors at their first annual conference, and downplayed his role in rescuing a film director from a gang of youths.

According to Maria Mackay, writing for www.Christiantoday.com  , hundreds of Street Pastors and supporters are in London for the ministry’s inaugural conference to share their experiences and consider how they can minister more effectively to the people out and about on Britain’s streets each weekend.

London Mayor Boris Johnson and Queen Elizabeth II (Boris Johnson website photo).

Mackay says the inaugural Street Pastors conference opened Thursday with a keynote address from London Mayor Boris Johnson who praised their work in transforming the capital.

He said: "We can’t just transform the physical infrastructure because that’s not what really counts. What counts is the human capital of London.

"It’s the young people of London that we need to invest in if this city is to lengthen its lead as the greatest city on Earth.

"Street Pastors are already doing what you can and I think it is high time London knew more about what you did and the whole of London followed your example."

Mackay says Johnson admitted that red tape was making it "too difficult to do good" for many organizations, including Street Pastors, but said he had no difficulty with Christian organizations sharing their faith through their work.

"Faith groups who want to slip in the odd cogent message in favor of salvation, I have absolutely no problem with that. Why not!" he quipped.

"That’s one of the things I think has been going wrong in the last few years -- we’ve got a slightly politically correct super-sensitivity to anything remotely cast as religious advocacy. I’ve got no difficulty with it whatsoever."

Mackay says Johnson played down his recent rescue of film director Franny Armstrong from a group of young girls brandishing an iron bar in London recently.

"I was doing none other than what you do, what Street Pastors do every night on the streets of London, people with the courage and the sense of public spirit to intervene with our kids who may be about to do something stupid or possibly even something fatal," he said.

Mackay explains the Mayor admitted that there was "apprehension" in the minds of adults that often prevented them from intervening when they saw crime on the streets or, in the case of teachers, from exerting control over youngsters in the classroom.

"I want to see a clear and unambiguous statement from the Government that the law will give the benefit of the doubt to adults who responsibly and reasonably try to restrain children who are making life miserable for others," he said, to the applause of conference delegates.

According to The Guardian newspaper (www.guardian.co.uk ), Johnson came to the rescue of Armstrong, who is a high profile climate change activist and filmmaker who was being attacked by a group of young girls brandishing an iron bar.

The newspaper says Franny Armstrong, the director of The Age of Stupid, described the Mayor of London as her "knight in a shining bicycle" after he came to her defense as she was walking home in Camden, north London, on Nov.2.

Apparently, Armstrong called out for help to a passing cyclist after being surrounded by a group of hoodie-wearing young girls who pushed her against a car, one holding an iron bar.

The newspaper says the cyclist turned out to be none other than Johnson, "who has made tackling youth crime a key mayoral priority."

The newspaper reports that Johnson stopped and chased the girls down the street, calling them "oiks," according to Armstrong, who praised the mayor's intervention.

Johnson returned and insisted on walking her home, The Guardian said.

Armstrong is the founder of the 10:10 campaign, which aims to cut 10 percent of carbon emissions in 2010 and has attracted support from leading firms -- including The Guardian -- and personalities.

"I was texting on my phone so didn't notice the girls until they pushed me against the car, quite hard," she said.

"I noticed that one had an iron bar in her hand. It was very frightening. At that moment a man cycled past and I called out for help.

"He said to the girls: 'What do you think you are doing?' He picked up the iron bar, called after the girls and cycled after them. He returned a few minutes later and walked me home.

"He was my knight on a shining bicycle."

The Guardian says Johnson's office confirmed the story, but declined to comment on the Mayor's actions.

Armstrong admitted she did not agree with Johnson's politics, and had voted for his rival Ken Livingstone in the mayoral elections, but added: "If you find yourself down a dark alleyway and in trouble, I think Boris would be of more use than Ken."

** Michael Ireland, Chief Correspondent of ANS, is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB Europe, a British Christian radio station. Michael has traveled to Albania,Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Israel, and Canada. He has reported for ANS from Jordan, China, Russia, Jamaica, Mexico, and Nicaragua. Michael's volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- Michael Ireland Media Missionary (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International of P.O.Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649,at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International where you can donate online to support his stated mission of 'Truth Through Christian Journalism.'