Toronto Mayor Rob Ford: Yes I did smoke crack

After months of feverish coverage in the Canadian press, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford finally said that he had smoked crack, around a year ago, and “probably in one of my drunken stupors”.

The admission came days after Toronto’s police chief confirmed his officers had recovered a copy of a video that two media organisations said showed Mr Ford smoking the drug.

“Yes I have smoked crack cocaine,” he said, after six months of evading the question. “But, no, do I? Am I an addict? No. Have I have tried it? Probably in one of my drunken stupors, probably approximately about a year ago,” he said.

The Toronto Star newspaper and Gawker first reported the existence of the video in May.

“I don’t even remember,” Ford said of his drug use. “After some of the stuff that you guys have seen, the state I’ve been in. It’s a problem.”

Will he resign?

Calls continue for Mr Ford’s resignation. A poll commissioned by the Toronto Sun newspaper showed that 60 per cent of Toronto residents thought he should step down.

However the mayor’s approval rating in terms of his capabilities as mayor remains steady on 47 per cent.

Below: Rob Ford on Monday apologising for being drunk in public – “I’ve made mistakes”.