Boris Johnson: "Knight on a shining bicycle"

Does Boris Johnson have a superhero alter-ego? Buffoonish mayor of London by day, cycling vigilante by night?

Environmentalist documentary maker Franny Armstrong would certainly argue that. Johnson swooped to her rescue yesterday, when she was pushed up against a car by a gang of girls -- she described them as "feral kids" -- wielding an iron pipe. Apparently he was cycling past and heard her cries for help. Reportedly calling the attackers "oiks," he gave a brief chase before returning to escort Armstrong home, in best super hero form.

So instead of asking watching political candidates debate, we should have them challenge each other to wrestling matches.

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

Perhaps mayors across the world are united in their lonely quest against crime. Newark Mayor Cory Booker chased a mugger outside of city hall in 2006, while a Bloomberg deputy tackled a BlackBerry thief earlier this year.

What kind of tights does our cycling hero Boris have on beneath the pinstripes, I wonder.

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