Northamptonshire County Council: Acting chief executive and finance officer to leave

Interviews for a new permanent chief executive of Northamptonshire County Council are due to be held on Monday

The acting chief executive and chief financial officer at a crisis-hit council have both resigned.

Andrew Quincey and Mark McLaughlin have been working under two government-appointed commissioners at Northamptonshire County Council.

The commissioners were put in place in May to try to steer the authority out of its financial crisis.

Councillors were told of the resignations in an email from the Tory council leader Matt Golby.

He wrote that interim chief executive Mr Quincey, who took up his post in April, would leave on 27 July.

'Tumultuous time'

"Last week he handed in his resignation... and will shortly be taking a new role working on a major construction project in Sydney, Australia," Mr Golby wrote on Friday.

"Our chief finance officer Mark McLaughlin has also handed in his resignation.

"Mark has made it clear that as the commissioners are now in post and the recruitment process is under way for a new chief executive, the council is moving into its next phase and therefore it is only right that he steps aside."

Interviews for a new permanent chief executive will take place on Monday and the successful candidate will be announced on 19 July.

Andrew Quincey took over the role following the resignation of previous interim Damon Lawrenson.

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Mr Lawrenson left after a damning report which condemned the authority for financial mismanagement and poor governance.

Mark McLaughlin, who leaves at the end of July, joined the authority in December and in February issued a 114 notice, which banned all new expenditure.

Mr Golby thanked both officers for their work in this "tumultuous time" and revealed they would not receive settlement payments.