Rob Ford might be committed to his vow of silence in the wake of last week's crack smoking allegations, but things appear far from peaceful behind the scenes. Just a few moments ago the mayor dismissed Mark Towhey, his chief-of-staff and a loyal ally.

"I am no longer the chief of staff. I did not resign," Towhey said as he abruptly left City Hall in the last half an hour.

Towhey was one of Ford's guiding lights and his departure further suggests the mayor's administration is imploding on itself. Rob Ford is due to make a statement in the next few minutes.

More to come.

Update 3:20pm

The mayor's office has released a brief statement regarding Towhey's dismal:

"Effective immediately, Mark Towhey is no longer working in the Office of the Mayor. Mr. Towhey has been a intricate [the writer means integral here, FYI] part of the Mayor's Office and has made many valuable contributions. The Mayor thanks Mr. Towhey for his valuable service and wishes him the very best in his future endeavours. Earl Provost, Deputy Chief of Staff, will assume the role of Acting Chief of Staff until further notice."

That provides nothing other than an official confirmation of the dismissal, so as seems to be the case with a number of things related to Rob Ford, the city is left to wait for a more thoroughgoing explanation.

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.