BURY Council has announced a permanent chief executive three months after Mike Kelly retired.

Since March, the town hall's resource and regulation director Mike Owen has been acting as interim chief executive, and he has been chosen as Mr Kelly's permanent replacement.

Dozens of people applied for the top job, which commands a salary of £152,286.

Earlier this week, senior councillors interviewed four shortlisted candidates. Mr Owen was appointed after a meeting of the council's human resources and appeals panel at the town hall on Tuesday morning.

The formal announcement was being made at last night's Full Council meeting at the town hall.

The council will now advertise the vacant resource and regulation post.

Mr Owen, aged 53, has worked at the authority since 1986, originally as deputy group accountant, although he did undertake a one-year stint at Oldham Council in 1999 where he was deputy treasurer. He returned as chief financial services officer.

He previously worked for the NHS in the North West Regional Authority in 1979 as a finance trainee, before joining Trafford Council in 1984.