Fear and kebabs on the streets of London

The home secretary, Jacqui Smith, found herself at the centre of a row over the government's record on crime yesterday after saying that she would not feel safe walking the streets of London late at night.

The shadow home secretary, David Davis, called it an "astonishing admission" and said it was "shameful" that people could not walk in the capital at night. The Liberal Democrat candidate for London mayor, Brian Paddick, said Smith was "not alone in feeling unsafe" in the city.

The backlash arose after Smith told the Sunday Times she would not feel comfortable in London after dark, whether in a deprived area such as Hackney or in wealthier districts such as Kensington and Chelsea.

Her apparent gaffe was compounded when the paper said it was contacted by one of Smith's aides after the interview who said that the home secretary's words had not come out as she had intended. In an attempt to limit the damage the aide added that Smith had recently "bought a kebab in Peckham", a deprived area of south London.