Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson has temporarily stepped down in connection with a sex and financial irregularities scandal. Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster has taken over as acting first minister.

Mr Robinson, of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has vowed to clear his name.  The scandal broke last week after Mr Robinson's wife Iris, also a senior politician, admitted to having an affair with a 19-year-old and securing a 56,000 euro loan from two wealthy developers to help the teenager set up a business.
 

Mr Robinson has repeatedly denied any knowledge of the financial deal, which should have been reported to parliamentary authorities. Iris Robinson has withdrawn from politics and has announced that she will give up her seat in both the Northern Ireland Assembly and the British Lower House of Parliament. Iris Robinson is currently undergoing intensive psychiatric treatment.
 

The DUP, an ultraconservative Protestant party, is a member of the Northern Ireland's power-sharing government and the scandal has further strained relations with their long-standing rivals Sinn Fein.

Photograph: Peter Robinson at party conference; DUP photos/flickr