BURY Council’s director of children’s services has resigned.

Mark Carriline was under investigation for serious misconduct about his handling of child protection procedures.

He is the second senior council officer to resign after chief executive Mike Owen quit hours before he was due to face a disciplinary hearing last month.

The pair were suspended in February after being found to have delayed carrying out child protection procedures after a councillor was accused of making indecent images of children.

Cllr Simon Carter subsequently pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a three-year community order.

Following a disciplinary panel meeting in June, it was recommended that Mr Carriline should be sacked.

Monitoring officer Jayne Hammond was also suspended over legal advice she had given about the matter.

A council spokesman stated that the allegations against her had been "resolved by the panel".

The panel hearing followed an independent external investigation undertaken by Charles Bourne QC.

A council spokesman said: “Mark Carriline, the council’s executive director for children, young people and culture, tendered his resignation this week which takes place with immediate effect.

“No payment has been made to Mr Carriline on his departure except that relating to outstanding holidays. “Karen Dolton will continue in the statutory role of interim director of children’s services.”

Earlier this year, a review found that Mr Owen, Mr Carriline and Mrs Hammond delayed implementing safeguarding procedures when allegations about Mr Carter, who was then a Labour councillor representing Tottington, first came to light.

He was accused of making indecent child images in spring 2015 and was convicted the following September.

The three officers had waited up to five weeks to carry out a string of child protection measures that should have been implemented within 24 or 48 hours of the allegations surfacing, the investigation found.