TORONTO (Reuters) - Doctors for Mr Rob Ford, the former mayor of Toronto who gained global notoriety for admitting to smoking crack while in office, have found a new tumour after cancer treatment forced him out of a re-election race in 2014.

Mr Ford, now a city councillor, had abdominal pain and tests have confirmed a tumor is growing on his bladder, Ford's office said in a statement. "At this time, we are still awaiting testing results to determine if it is related to the previous growths, as well as whether it is malignant," the statement said.

Mr Ford and his brother Doug, who remain popular figures in Conservative politics in Toronto's suburbs, helped organise a large rally for Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper two weeks ago. Mr Ford attended the rally and Tweeted a photo of himself and his family next to Mr Harper, who was defeated last week in a federal election that ousted the Conservatives from power.

Mr Ford made global headlines in 2013 by refusing to resign as mayor even after he admitted he had smoked crack while in a"drunken stupor".

He dropped out of a race for re-election in October 2014 after being diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer.

He had surgery and chemotherapy and has continued to work as a city councillor under a populist platform of keeping taxes low and ending waste at city hall.