The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson , is calling on more of London’s businesses to take up employing ex-offenders in an effort to help drive down reoffending and cut crime in the capital.

According to the mayor, employers that hire ex-offenders report above average commitment and loyalty, yet just 12% said they had employed an ex-offender in the last three years.

In 2013 to 2014, just a quarter of prisoners entered employment after their release, falling to below 10% for female offenders. Without a job, ex-offenders are considerably more likely to turn back to crime.

Cobblers and key cutting chain Timpson employs more former prisoners than any other UK company, with training shops in five prisons.

Since launching the scheme four years ago, 90% of their ex-offenders have remained with the company for more than a year, and out of almost 300 ex-offender employees, just seven have gone on to re-offend.‎

Almost 80% of those convicted of a crime or cautioned in London in 2013/14 were re-offenders, and almost 90% of custodial sentences went to re-offenders.

Overall, re-offending reportedly costs the taxpayer up to £13bn each year, but a steady job can help to break this cycle and offer long term rehabilitation.

'Valuable chance to turn their life around'

Boris said: “Cracking down on reoffending will help us to dramatically cut crime, and it is clear from the wonderful work already underway by organisations like Timpson that employing former prisoners is a win-win solution.

“It is vital that we all play our part in helping ex-offenders to rehabilitate into the community, and give them a chance to move forward with their lives.

“I want to encourage many more London businesses to consider giving an ex-offender a valuable chance to turn their life around.”

Timpson employee and ex-offender Russell Zecanovsky, said: “Leaving prison and trying to get a job can be almost impossible, but I trained with Timpson for five months at their Wandsworth Prison Academy, and since leaving I’ve now worked with them for five years.

“Timpson really has changed my life. My job has given me a career, the chance to work my way up in an organisation, a steady income, and the opportunity to learn a skilled trade and be part of a great team.

“Most importantly, my job gave me a second chance and the confidence and drive to get on with my life and I haven’t looked back.”

Boris recently appeared in the popular video game Minecraft , where he announced a £1.2 million funding boost to help make London the world's video game capital.