A Welsh Assembly Government minister accused of breaking the smoking ban says he expects to lose his job.
Welsh Culture Minister Rhodri Glyn Thomas has resigned after claims he walked in to a pub holding a lit cigar.
Culture Minister Rhodri Glyn Thomas is said to have been reprimanded by staff at a Cardiff pub after witnesses say he walked in holding a lit cigar.
The Plaid Cymru minister quit saying his position was not "sustainable" following an earlier gaffe when he named the wrong winner of a book prize.
It is the latest gaffe to have put Mr Thomas in the headlines.
Labour First Minster Rhodri Morgan praised Mr Thomas for his "hard work".
Earlier this month, the Plaid Cymru AM apologised after mistakenly reading out the wrong name when announcing the winner of the Wales Book of the Year.
Witnesses at a pub near the Welsh assembly claim Mr Thomas was reprimanded by staff after bringing in a lit cigar in his hand.
Neither Mr Thomas, the Eli Jenkins pub in Cardiff or the Welsh Assembly Government has commented on claims he was spotted wandering in to the bar with the lit cigar in his hand.
Mr Thomas had already pulled out of the opening of the Sir Kyffin Williams gallery on Anglesey on Friday evening, telling colleagues he did not expect to last the evening in his post.
BBC Wales understands that the AM for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr has told colleagues he does not expect to be in his job by the end of Friday.
In his resignation letter to Mr Morgan, he wrote: "In the light of the publicity that has been following me in the last weeks I feel that my position in the government is no longer sustainable.
The Eli Jenkins is within yards of the Welsh assembly in Cardiff Bay
"Further comments would be bound to follow. It has been a privilege to be part of this government during this exceedingly exciting period."
He has already pulled out of the opening of the Sir Kyffin Williams gallery on Anglesey on Friday evening.
Pub
Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones is taking his place at the opening of the gallery, dedicated to the late Welsh artist Sir Kyffin Williams.
Mr Thomas became an assembly government minister when Labour and his party formed a coalition after the assembly election a year ago.
Mr Thomas became an assembly government minister when Labour and his party formed a coalition after the assembly election a year ago.
He and two party colleagues, Ieuan Wyn Jones and Elin Jones, became the first Plaid ministers in the party's history when they joined Labour in the cabinet.
He and two party colleagues, Ieuan Wyn Jones and Elin Jones, became the first Plaid ministers in the party's history when they joined Labour in the cabinet.
The Eli Jenkins is well known to journalists, politicians and staff at the nearby Welsh assembly.
The latest incident came at the Eli Jenkins pub, which is well known to journalists, politicians and staff at the nearby Welsh assembly.
The smoking row comes two weeks after Mr Thomas read out the wrong name when announcing the winner of the Wales Book of the Year.
He named Tom Bullough as the recipient of the English-language version of the award, only to have to correct himself as the author approached him at the Cardiff ceremony to claim the prize.
The moment the minister realised he had read out the wrong name
Mr Thomas apologised on the night and later for his gaffe. The actual winner was veteran writer Dannie Abse.
Mr Thomas, a former shadow health minister in the assembly, had backed the ban on smoking in public places, which was brought in in Wales ahead of a similar ban in England.
Nick Bourne, leader of the Conservative group in the assembly, has demanded an explanation from the minister over the smoking claims.
Mr Bourne said the smoking ban was introduced by the assembly government to protect non-smokers who legitimately wanted to enjoy a night out without running the risk of developing a smoking-related disease and that there could be no exceptions to the rules.
