CONGESTION charging in London moved a step closer when the City's transport authority sacked its last high-profile opponent, Steven Norris.

Mayor of London Ken Livingstone sacked Norris from the board of Transport for London because of the former Tory minister's 'gratuitous attacks' on the plans.

Livingstone said: 'Norris has accumulated a number of paid transport-related consultancies that have made his position on the board increasingly untenable.'

Norris is a non-executive director of Jarvis, one of the companies selected to maintain the Tube under the Government's part-privatisation. Norris said he was 'disenchanted' with Livingstone's transport policy and accused the mayor of failing to deliver during his term of office.