Former Breckland chief slammed in report

Rob GarrattA former Breckland council chief has come under fire in a government inspection of a crisis-stricken authority elsewhere in the country.Tim Leader, who was deputy chief executive of Breckland Council until last year, has been singled out in a report by the Audit Commission examining 'systematic failings' at Doncaster Council.Rob Garratt

A former Breckland council chief has come under fire in a government inspection of a crisis-stricken authority elsewhere in the country.

Tim Leader, who was deputy chief executive of Breckland Council until last year, has been singled out in a report by the Audit Commission examining 'systematic failings' at Doncaster Council.

The midlands authority fell into the public spotlight after a series of incidents, including a brutal attack on two young boys in Edlington.

Mr Leader joined Doncaster Council in September last year as director of resources and monitoring officer, before taking on the role of interim chief executive in January, which he resigned from at the beginning of this month with a pay off of nearly �69,000.

The Audit Commission report claims as monitoring officer Mr Leader was directly involved in his own selection as interim chief executive.

It reads: 'The former interim chief executive failed to behave in a way that lives up to the required standards of behaviour. 'He undermined perceptions of the role of chief executive as an impartial servant of the mayor and the council.

'He did not have the full confidence of all of his chief officer colleagues.

'The evidence we have received makes it clear that Mr Leader continued to advise the council on the process it should follow to appoint an interim chief executive even after it became clear that he was a leading candidate for that position.'