Boris Johnson launches inquiry into claims against deputy

London mayor Boris Johnson launched an independent inquiry last night into allegations of financial irregularities and inappropriate behaviour against his deputy mayor, Ray Lewis.

The move followed a Guardian investigation and a series of questions tabled by the newspaper on Wednesday.

It became the second blow to Johnson's administration in the past 10 days after one of his senior advisers, James McGrath, quit for telling an interviewer that Caribbean immigrants could always return to their places of birth if they did not like London under Johnson.

Yesterday, at a hastily arranged press conference at city hall in central London, Johnson backed Lewis, saying he had "every confidence" in his "tremendous deputy". Lewis, standing at Johnson's side, described claims that he had taken money from parishioners and "acted inappropriately" as "complete rubbish" and "an attempt to smear me".