London mayor and deputy mayor step aside as affair is made public

The mayor of London is temporarily stepping aside after admitting a brief ``inappropriate personal relationship'' with the deputy mayor.
   
Matt Brown said  in a statement last night that during a period of intense workload, he developed ``a close working relationship and ultimately an inappropriate personal relationship with Deputy Mayor Maureen Cassidy.''
   
Cassidy resigned as deputy mayor yesterday and used a news conference to appeal for privacy as she worked with her family ``to rebuild the trust that has been broken.''
   
Brown also asked the media and community to respect ``the need of my wife and children for some privacy as we work through this difficult time.''
   
Both Brown and Cassidy said they regret the pain and embarrassment they have caused their families, with Brown saying his wife was extremely angry with him when he told her of the ``affair.''
   
Brown said he would be meeting with the integrity commissioner on Thursday, saying he realized there would be many questions related to his personal and my professional life.