Shamed Detroit mayor to step down

Mr Kilpatrick and his former aide Christine Beatty were charged with lying under oath after sexually explicit text messages surfaced that appeared to contradict their sworn denials of the alleged affair.

Ms Beatty has pleaded not guilty to the perjury charges and will appear in court again on 11 September.

A prominent African-American politician who was elected mayor at the age of 31, Mr Kilpatrick had been considered one of the rising stars of the Democratic Party.

Mr Kilpatrick's resignation will come into effect in two weeks and he will return to court on 28 October for sentencing.

He already spent one night in jail in August, for violating the terms of his bail by travelling to Canada without informing the court.

City council president Ken Cockrel will serve as interim mayor until special elections can be held.