Ken aide quits

Mayor of London Ken Livingstone has accepted beleaguered aide Lee Jasper's resignation.

The mayor's race relations advisor announced his decision to quit following the latest in a string of claims about his alleged misuse of City Hall funds.

Mr Jasper, who had already been suspended from his job pending a police enquiry, left just 24 hours before due to face a London Assembly probe into his activities.

The Evening Standard newspaper has claimed Mr Jasper channelled £100,000 into two projects run by Karen Chouhan, the company secretary of the 1990 Trust and the director of the Black Londoners' Forum.

He is said to have sent Ms Chouhan a series of sexually-charged emails without declaring a relationship with her.

The 1990 Trust was reportedly given £65,000 days after Mr Jasper sent her a message saying: "I love you in a flaming red sari, bangles, chains or failing that in a bikini!"

The 49-year-old married father of nine has denied any wrongdoing and blamed his departure on "the racist nature of a relentless media campaign" against him.

Ken Livingstone has also expressed his support for Mr Jasper ahead of the police investigation, saying: "I would bet my life that they will clear Lee Jasper and I will reappoint him when they do."

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