Toronto's Crack-Smoking Mayor Ford Won't Quit

Disgraced Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has brushed aside mounting calls for his resignation - hours after admitting for the first time that he had smoked crack cocaine.

In an emotional appearance at a news conference, Mr Ford vowed to stay in office and run for re-election next year.

"I know I have to regain your trust and your confidence," he said in a room packed with reporters.

"I was elected to do a job and that's exactly what I plan to continue to do."

The embattled mayor has been facing increasing pressure to quit since allegations surfaced months ago that he had been caught on video using a crack pipe.

He finally came clean earlier on Tuesday, telling reporters he smoked crack "about a year ago" and while in a "drunken stupor" - raising the prospect that he would face a criminal investigation.

Speaking at the news conference a few hours later, Mr Ford said the admission felt "like a thousand pounds had been lifted off my shoulders".

"I know what I did was wrong and admitting it was the most difficult and embarrassing thing I've ever had to do," he added.

"I have nothing left to hide. The past is the past and we must move forward."

Police said last week they had obtained a copy of the video allegedly showing Mr Ford smoking crack, but said they did not have grounds to pursue criminal charges against the mayor.

While reaffirming his intent to stay in office, Mr Ford attempted to reassure voters that his drug use was behind him.

"I want to be crystal clear to every single person, these mistakes will never ever, ever happen again," he said.

The mayor - who left the news conference without taking questions from reporters - said he hid his drug use from members of his family, including his brother, Doug Ford.

Before the mayor's admission, his brother had criticised Police Chief Bill Blair for saying he was "disappointed" in the mayor.

Doug Ford called the chief's comments "inappropriate" and "biased" and said Chief Blair should step aside.

"We have the most political police chief we have ever seen," said Doug Ford, a Toronto city councillor.

"The police chief believes he's the judge, the jury and the executioner."

Chief Blair says he responded honestly when asked about his feelings after watching the video.

The allegations about Mr Ford smoking crack surfaced when two reporters with the Toronto Star and one from the US website Gawker said they saw the video but they did not obtain a copy.

Mr Ford vilified the Toronto Star, accusing the paper of trying to take him down.

Police said the video will come out when Mr Ford's associate and occasional driver, Alexander Lisi, goes to trial on drug and extortion charges.

Lisi is accused of threatening two alleged gang members who had been trying to sell the video to the media.

Police have said they want to talk to the mayor, but his lawyer so far has declined.