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Members of No To Bike Parking Tax blocked Trafalgar Square with their motorbikes last night, to demonstrate about a £1 daily parking charge introduced by Westminster Council.

The mayor of London, cycling by the square, is caught on camera by one of the protesters, saying: "Do you want to stay in the bus lanes or not?

"Then stop this protest. You're blocking traffic."

Mr Johnson was referring to an 18-month trial launched by Transport for London (TfL) in January 2009, which allows motorbikes to use bus lanes.

Warren Djanogly, chairman of the protest group, called the mayor's comments "threatening".

He added: "We have a democratic right to protest.

"It borders on blackmail, to stop people exercising their legal right to protest.

"To be threatened that if we don't stop our protest, something else will be taken away is outrageous.

"We're not going to listen to him. If anything, we're more determined than ever to keep protesting.

"Boris Johnson owes a lot of people a very large apology and we want a full explanation from him."

TfL makes recommendations to the mayor, who will make the final decision over whether the bus lane trial scheme will become permanent.

The trial is due to end on July 5.

A spokesman for the mayor of London said: "The mayor promised motorcyclists access to bus lanes on a trial basis but made it clear they would need to develop a mutual respect with others using the lanes for it to work well.

"He realises their desire to protest about parking charges in Westminster but was making the point that inconveniencing thousands of Londoners by jamming up a large part of central London only damages the respect that they need for the bus lanes trial to be successful."

Source: Westminster London Informer