Mr Ansari became Camden's mayor in May 2009
A London mayor has been suspended from his post after being arrested on suspicion of benefit fraud.
Camden Mayor Omar Faruque Ansari, 55, was led from the north London borough's town hall by police on Monday.
He was questioned at Holborn police station over claims that he was falsely claiming disability benefits.
A council spokesman said the allegations did not relate to Mr Ansari's work at the council. Mr Ansari was released on bail until March.
He joined Camden Council's Liberal Democrats in 2006 and became mayor in May last year.
'Serious investigation'
Council leader Keith Moffitt said Mr Ansari would be suspended from the Liberal Democrat group while a "serious investigation" was carried out.
A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said: "Officers assisting the Department for Work and Pensions arrested a 55-year-old man yesterday.
"He was taken into custody at a central London police station and bailed to return to a date in March."
The Camden Council spokesman said he would not comment on "allegations relating to the personal lives of its members".
But he added: "No information would suggest that these allegations are connected to Councillor Ansari's work with the council.
"We must also note at this stage that these are merely allegations."
File photo of Camden Town Hall, where the mayor was arrested yesterday. 

The mayor of the London Borough of Camden, England, was arrested yesterday on suspicion of benefit fraud.  Omar Faruque Ansari was taken from Camden Town Hall by police to Holborn police station over allegations that he was wrongfully claiming disability benefits. After four hours of questioning, he was released on bail to return in March.

Today, Ansar said that he was sure that he would be cleared of any wrongdoing.  "It is a very political thing. When you are mayor of Camden, you are a very trusting figure. Someone is trying to smear me", he added.  He is reported to receive £474 (about US$765) per month in disability benefits, after complications following a neck operation in 1995 – this was needed for injuries he received fighting for Bangladesh against Pakistan in the 1970s, he explained. "I've never even had a parking ticket in my life, so this is very distressing", he commented.

The allegations appear to be unrelated to the mayor's council work, a spokesman for Camden said. He refused to comment further on "allegations relating to the personal lives of the council's members".

Ansari, 55, moved to the UK in 1960 and has been mayor of Camden since May 2009, after joining the Liberal Democrats in 2006.  He has been suspended as mayor and from the Liberal Democrat group while the investigation is ongoing.