Mayor's aide Jasper quits

Ken Livingstone's key aide Lee Jasper dramatically quit his job this evening after damaging sexually charged e-mails he sent were revealed by the Evening Standard.

The Mayor's senior adviser stepped down after months of pressure over City Hall grants given to groups linked to him which had little or nothing to show in way of results.

In a statement tonight the mayor's spokesman said: "Lee Jasper, in the light of material published today, has tendered his resignation."

The final straw appeared to be a series of e-mails sent by Mr Jasper to Karen Chouhan, a married mother-of-three who is the company secretary of the 1990 Trust and director of the Black Londoners' Forum.

This afternoon City Hall said he had left his post - to which he was personally appointed by the Mayor.

The move means Mr Jasper will not turn up tomorrow to be quizzed by the London Assembly over the grants scandal.

Assembly members were due to hold a full hearing into how millions of pounds of City Hall and London Development Agency money were spent on a series of projects linked to Mr Jasper's friends.

A string are under investigation by Scotland Yard over allegations of fraud.

In one of Mr Jasper's messages to 50-year-old Mrs Chouhan, who he calls "darling", he wrote: "I love thee [sic] feet, ankles, legs, thighs, bum and belly, arms, head and brain. But most of all I love you in a flaming red sari, bangles, chains or failing that in a bikini!"

Days later the 1990 Trust was given £65,000 by City Hall. Mr Jasper did not declare his relationship with Mrs Chouhan or any interest in either organisation.

Earlier today Mr Jasper, 49, a married father of nine, and Mrs Chouhan denied any impropriety. She said the emails were "banter" and that they had not been sexually involved.