Washington, America's capital city, has sworn in a new mayor, bringing to an end the sixteen-year tenure of one of the country's most controversial public figures, Marion Barry.

The new mayor is Anthony Williams, and a BBC correspondent in Washington says that after the wild ride under Mr Barry's leadership, many are looking forward to the rather safer journey promised by his successor who's regarded as a competent administrator.

Under Marion Barry's leadership the city has faced enormous financial problems.

He won a fourth term after serving a prison sentence for cocaine possession.