Toronto mayor `heading to rehab center'

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has begun a leave of absence and headed for a rehab centre after a report surfaced of second video of him apparently smoking crack cocaine.

His brother, Doug Ford, said the mayor boarded a plane and would enter a 30-day inpatient treatment at one of the best rehab facilities in North America when he lands.

Speaking to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Doug Ford declined to name the location of the facility.

A day after announcing his decision to take a leave, Ford left his west-end Toronto home in a two car-convoy without answering questions from reporters, leaving behind a trail of uncertainty about his re-election campaign and the political future of Canada's largest city.

His nephew was seen leaving the home with a suitcase.

One of Ford's campaign rivals and other Toronto politicians demanded he resign. But in a statement on Wednesday, Ford said only that would take leave for an unspecified amount of time both his mayoral post and his election campaign.

Ford, who was elected four years ago on a wave of support from Toronto's conservative suburbs, has for months been the subject of a drug-related police investigation, but he has not been charged with any crime.

Toronto police said they were looking into the new video, which was reported by the Globe and Mail newspaper.

"I have a problem with alcohol, and the choices I have made while under the influence," Ford said in statement late on Wednesday.

"I have tried to deal with these issues by myself over the past year. I know that I need professional help and I am now 100 per cent committed to getting myself right."

The Globe and Mail newspaper said it has viewed a second video of Ford smoking what appears to be crack cocaine in his sister's basement.

The national newspaper said two Globe reporters viewed the video from a self-professed drug dealer showing Ford taking a drag from a pipe early on Saturday morning.