Pot-ted! Labour boss quits over ''cannabis'' film

A trusted Labour Party financial guru has been forced to quit his council post after being filmed apparently smoking a spliff at an airport terminal. Farooq Ahmed, 36, a respected councillor was also suspended by the Labour Party after he was videoed on a mobile phone smoking what he described as ''blueberry'' whilst waiting for a close friend to fly into Britain. The video filmed at Manchester Airport was made public just five months after Ahmed was pictured with Ed Milliband in an official Labour photocall as part of nationwide plan by the party to examine the workings of local government. Restaurant boss Ahmed who runs several businesses confirmed he had quit as Rochdale Council's Cabinet Member for Finance after the footage was leaked onto the internet. But speaking at his girlfriend's home in Rochdale he insisted: ''I was joking around and playing up to the camera. I was not smoking drugs, it was a menthol cigarette and I was just messing about. "I work hard as a councillor and as a businessman and I like to let my hair down, but I was not smoking anything illegal. It was filmed some years ago and it was just a couple of lads having a laugh. ''I knew I was being filmed and the person who was commentating was asking me questions like he was doing an interview and I was just messing about. I thought it was a recording between friends. ''I've done so much good in the community and its sad that's it come to this. I've been the victim of a vendetta.'' Ahmed was appointed ...

View Count: 77 Date: January 10, 2012