I will not stand down, says mayor filmed snorting substance in toilet

Mr Rix tells the unidentified man: "Don't let anyone come... shut that door." He adds: "Don't want anyone seeing councillor Rix doing this."

In the 67-second clip posted on YouTube, Mr Rix says: "You see what's there?"

The man replies: "Yeah, you do the big one," and Mr Rix adds: "Are you sure?"

Mr Rix told the Press Association he was drunk, the victim of a blackmail plot and had been coerced when the incident was filmed around six years ago, but he insisted he would not step down as mayor of Dover.

He said: "I just feel I have let down my family but I will get over it. I have had a lot of support from friends and family, people that know me."

He said he was not a drug user, insisting he was "dead against" drug taking, and he was not sure what type of substance he snorted or where it was filmed.

He said: "I have never done it before. I was drunk. What happened happened. I don't know what it was I was putting up my nose. It could have been sherbet for all I know."

He admitted it was him in the footage but insisted it was not a resigning issue.

Asked whether he would be quitting, he said: "No, I'm not at all. I'm not standing down."

He said he had been told the name of the man who had filmed and released the footage.

Born and bred in Dover, Mr Rix was made mayor of the town in May. He is the youngest of 11 brothers and sisters, and founded a scaffolding and demolition firm.

In his first speech as mayor, he said his top priority was to encourage local employers to invest more in the town and increase involvement in community life.

In front of a 200-strong gathering of local people and dignitaries, he said: "This is a huge honour and I am determined to work my hardest and do my very best for the town."

In a statement, Dover Town Council said: "We are aware of a video being posted on YouTube of Neil Rix, town mayor of Dover.

"The video and the circumstances in which it has been posted are ambiguous. We will not allow the current speculation to stand in the way of the work of the mayor and Dover Town Council."

The circumstances surrounding the footage featuring Mr Rix, who is listed as an independent town councillor, are to be looked at by Kent Police.

A spokesman said: "Kent Police is aware of media coverage of a video circulating online reportedly relating to drug use. Officers will be making inquiries to establish the circumstances of the footage."

In a later statement, it was disclosed that Mr Rix had referred himself to the district council's monitoring officer for a possible breach of the code of conduct.

Dover Town Council said: "We are taking this matter very seriously and have asked the Kent Association of Local Councils for advice.

"The mayor has agreed to self-refer to the district council's monitoring officer for a possible breach of the code of conduct. There may be a criminal investigation, but this is a matter for the police."