£¼m payoff for council boss

THE chief executive of Shetland Islands Council yesterday agreed to leave his post after an eight-month spell in office mired in scandal and controversy.

Dave Clark left with a reputed "golden handshake" of 250,000 after the council decided that it would be in the best interests of the islands to "draw a line" under his tenure.

The departure of Mr Clark and the magnitude of the pay-off last night fuelled the growing public backlash against the council's handling of the affair, sparking renewed calls for convener Sandy Cluness and vice-convener Josie Simpson to resign.