Finance chief quits council after just ten months

The finance chief of Borders Council has quit a week before a crucial meeting to vote through multi-million-pound cuts in the coming year's budget.

The local authority insisted that Richard Webb's decision to resign as chief financial officer after just ten months in the post was purely for "personal reasons". It is understood that Mr Webb's wife is still based in the London area and he has found it difficult to settle in the Borders.

When Mr Webb took the job he had to deal with the aftermath of the Icelandic bank collpase, which saw the council write off 3 million of a 10m investment. But it is the budget for 2011-12 that has occupied most of his time, as the council faces a 13.5m cut in funding. He has also had to deal with legal actions by Scottish Borders Housing Association and First Bus group