The chief executive of Rotherham Borough Council, Martin Kimber, has announced he is quitting the council in light of the child sexual exploitation inquiry.
Mr Kimber, who had previously rejected calls to step down from his position, said his resignation was the ‘right thing to do’ and apologised again for the serious historic failings in leadership highlighted in the inquiry.
Mr Kimber: ‘The council has now decided what it must do to give the best possible protection for the children and young people of Rotherham. I believe that new leadership will enable the town to recover more quickly from the events of the last two weeks, and strongly signal a new beginning at this critical time in its recovery. The time is therefore now right for me to leave.
‘I will be sorry to leave Rotherham but firmly believe that this will leave the Council in a stronger position in the future. It is therefore the right thing to do in the interests of the people of the town.’
Mr Kimber will leave the council in December.
