Thurrock Council finance officer Sean Clark resigns amid £469m debt

Thurrock Council's current funding gap is more than three times larger than its annual budget.

The chief finance officer at a council that is effectively bankrupt has resigned from his role.

Thurrock Council in Essex has asked the government for exceptional financial support after admitting it has a £469m funding black hole following a series of failed investments.

Sean Clark, the council's corporate director of resources, was warned about "unprecedented" risks being taken.

A council spokesman said he tendered his resignation, which was accepted.

Mr Clark's last day was scheduled to be 12 April.

Conservative-run Thurrock said earlier this week he had been paid £58,556.47 in salary this financial year, and £11,594 in pension contributions, since his suspension in September.

The former council chief executive Lyn Carpenter resigned with immediate effect last month.

The resignation from Lyn Carpenter, pictured with the council's former Conservative leader Rob Gledhill, was announced in early December

Essex County Council was appointed to commission services at Thurrock Council last year after the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities singled out a "serious financial situation".

The government lent the council £850m to pay back loans from other UK councils, but it still left the local authority unable to balance its budget.

Essex County Council is due to publish its best value inspection report on 17 February, which is expected to identify mistakes that were made but also provide recommendations.

The local authority has already scrapped a £26m scheme to build 82 affordable houses and has proposed closing some job vacancies.