Toronto mayor Rob Ford admitted during a heated city council debate that he had bought illegal drugs in the past two years, but he firmly refused to step down from his job even after nearly every councillor stood up to ask him to take a leave of absence.

Crack-smoking Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has admitted he has bought illegal drugs in the past two years.

Toronto mayor Rob Ford has refused to resign amid immense pressure to step down as leader of Canada’s largest city, after admitting for the first time that he smoked crack “probably a year ago” when he was in a “drunken stupor”.