A COUNCIL has been accused of running a “deceitful” campaign over boat services.

Greenwich Council’s campaign is calling on Mayor of London Boris Johnson to allow Oyster cards to be used on the Thames Clippers service.

It also wants him to raise subsidy levels for the company in line with those for buses and the tube and support proposals for more frequent services across the river.

But Mr Johnson has told the London Assembly that neither he or Transport for London (TfL) have been contacted about the campaign.

Leader of Greenwich Conservatives Councillor Spencer Drury said: “I am curious what sort of campaign fails to contact the person or organisation which it is seeking to influence.

“The council is complaining because Boris hasn’t done something that it never asked him to do - this campaign is simply deceitful.”

He added: “I think this is using taxpayers money to improve the Labour Party’s reputation without any serious attempt to achieve what it claims to be campaigning for.”

Every day, up to 770 people use the service to commute between Woolwich and Central London and Docklands, but the council says last year TfL's subsidy for riverboat passengers was only a third of the level for bus passengers.

Mr Johnson told assembly members that TfL is in negotiations to introduce the Oyster system to the clipper service anyway but no cost or date has yet been decided.

He also said the TfL subsidy would remain at the current level.

- News Shopper is awaiting a response from Greenwich Council.