Watchdog to visit Shetland over council chief's £¼m pay-off deal

OFFICIALS from Scotland's local government watchdog will visit Shetland later this month to investigate the departure of the local authority's controversial chief executive, David Clark.

Mr Clark agreed to take a 250,000 tax-free pay-off after just eight months in his post, following high-profile fall-outs with local councillors.

The deal triggered a public outcry, with islanders marching on Lerwick Town Hall last week to demand Mr Clark be sacked for bringing the isles into disrepute.

Last December, the Accounts Commission said it was concerned about "high-profile relationship issues" at Shetland Islands Council after a series of disagreements between Mr Clark and councillors, culminating in a complaint by six members about the chief executive.

At the time they ordered the Controller of Audit to investigate their concerns that there may be deeper problems with the way the council is being run.

However, that visit was delayed when Mr Clark left his office on 26 January. Three days later, his lawyers contacted the council asking to negotiate a settlement for his departure. On 19 February, councillors agreed to a tax-free pay-off of around 250,000, which is likely to cost the authority closer to 500,000.

Later, the police reported Mr Clark to the procurator-fiscal over allegations he threatened a Lerwick councillor with violence in September.

Last Saturday, around 50 people gathered in Lerwick's Market Cross calling for the entire council to resign and stand for re-election as confidence in them had fallen to an all-time low.

In a statement yesterday, Audit Scotland said it recognised "Shetlanders' concern about recent events at their council".

The statement added: "We will now begin work, looking particularly at the events surrounding the departure of the chief executive and the decision-making processes followed by the council."