Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has announced his decision to take a leave of absence and seek help for his drug problem.

The announcement was made after the Toronto Globe and Mail released images from a newly recorded video which they claim shows Ford smoking crack cocaine in his sister's basement.

Ford's lawyer Dennis Morris said: "He acknowledges he has a substance abuse problem and he wants to do something about it."

The footage, which was secretly recorded by a drug dealer, shows Ford smoking from a long, copper coloured pipe. The newspaper claims that the footage was shot last Saturday morning, and is part of a package of three videos.

Ford gained international notoriety last year after police obtained similar footage of him smoking crack cocaine. At the time he said that he was not an addict and had taken the drug while in a "drunken stupor."

Since then, he's courted controversy by knocking over a female councilor, getting ticketed for jaywalking, and being accused of paying someone to attack his brother-in-law.

Ford's break comes in the middle of a re-election battle ahead of mayoral elections in October.

Last year Mayor Ford came under pressure to answer questions regarding his behaviour: