Deputy who quit left Mayor Boris 'shaken'

BORIS Johnson, the London Mayor, said his confidence in Ray Lewis had been "shaken" after he was "misled" by his former deputy, who resigned last night.

Mr Lewis, who was in charge of leading the capital's policy on youth crime, stepped down amid allegations of inappropriate behaviour and financial irregularities.

Accepting the resignation, Mr Johnson said that he found it "harder" to offer the backing necessary for his deputy to continue after it emerged that the mayor had been misled over Mr Lewis being a magistrate.

Mr Lewis said he was resigning in the face of an "avalanche" of allegations against him.

He faced multiple claims relating to his time as a priest and as founder of an academy for young people.

An independent inquiry was launched in City Hall yesterday into the allegations.