By Agnes Klos.

A HUNDRED angry people who came to the Mayor of London's People's Question Time were denied admission after waiting for one hour with their tickets.

Entry to the event, which is supposed to provide ordinary members of public with a chance to question Mayor Boris Johnson and London Assembly members, turned into an organisational fiasco and caused outrage, at Bromley Civic Centre.

"Disgusting, disgraceful and outrageous" were the words shouted from the frustrated crowd, many of whom had travelled long distances to attend.

Disappointed people, including some pensioners, demanded an official come forward with an explanation and apologies, but the only answer that they got was "the seats are limited".

Organisers were unable to explain why they did not choose a bigger hall but instead the Civic Chamber, which has capacity for only 120 guests.

There was also no reply when asked why they issued many more tickets than the capacity of the venue allows.

Metropolitan Police arrived at 7.15pm when the crowd started building up, but the police representative said: "It is not a police operation. This event is organised by the council. We are here only to help. Please leave calmly."

Drita Klosi, a conservative activist from Bromley, said: "It is horrible what happened today. It is a PR disaster.

"Those people had tickets and they had been waiting for so long. I have seen so many elderly people leaving deeply disappointed. It was a complete waste of time."

A terminally ill man, who wants to stay anonymous, said that his wife went inside while he was parking the car. When he got to the entrance he saw an enormous queue and police.

Even though he tried to explain the situation police did not let him in and his seat remained vacant inside the Centre.

Hasina Momtaz, a spokesman for the Mayor, said: "There is nothing to explain. We have limited seats."

Complaint forms were handed over and people were force to leave.

The People's Question Time is held twice a year. The four main issues due to be discussed were policing and safety, transport, environment and the London Olympic Games in 2012.

• Agnes Klos is a journalism student at Lambeth College.

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