Croydon's Greater London Assembly member last night backed calls for military intervention to prevent scenes witnessed in Iraq happening on London's streets.
Steve O'Connell also urged the Government to "get to grips" with the on-going crisis in the Middle East for the safety of Londoners during an interview on Radio St Helier, which broadcasts to the patients of St Helier Hospital.
Speaking on the Good News Show, he said: "Clearly in London we have such a fantastic diverse city and we have many different faiths and backgrounds.
"Ultimately there is a dynamic for London because if the Middle East gets out of hand, there will be a threat to our country and London is the obvious target."
Asked by presenter David Blackmore what the UK should be doing to deal with the developing situation, he replied: "First of all there is the humanitarian [element]. We want to make sure we can get support to those people who are stranded.
"There have been some awful scenes lately… I think ultimately if it needs military intervention then so be it.
"The trouble is, in fairness, we budgeted as a country for peacetime [so] whether we've got that resource now to put boots on the ground out there and whether British people have got the appetite for boots on the ground is another thing.
"I think ultimately it is a question of humanitarian [support] but… if we think there could be a threat to London, we need to do what is required."
