REDDITCH Council's borough director is to leave the authority in the new year, it has been announced.

Katherine Kerswell has been chief executive for more than three years and will be leaving in three months to take up the post of chief executive at Solihull Metropolitan Council.

Council leader Albert Wharrad said: "I would congratulate Katherine on her new job, which I know she is looking forward to, and wish her every success.

"Without a doubt as far as the council is concerned, she has been an excellent borough director for us and I have worked closely with her as leader of the council.

"The partnership between herself and other councillors has been invaluable to Redditch, which has been through some difficult times.

"Her hard work and determination will be missed."

But Conservative councillor Carole Gandy said she was cautious about the future of the council and any changes the new borough director, who is yet to be appointed, would make.

She said: "Staff at the council have been unsettled by the news."

Mrs Gandy said any new borough director would want to stamp his or her authority on the council but she feared staff could feel their jobs were threatened.

She added: "I think the council would be very concerned if somebody came in now and wanted to make a lot of changes.

"The staff are only just getting used to changes and there have been some hard times with job losses.

"I understand people have to move forward and I think we should be flattered somebody who has been borough director here has got a job with a metropolitan council.

"But I think from the point of view of the staff they may well have someone come in and make changes when they are only just going through re-training."