Council chief executive and deputy to both take leaves of absence

The chief executive of East Ayrshire Council and his deputy are both to take unexpected leaves of absence.

A spokesperson said that chief executive Eddie Fraser and depute chief executive Richard Grieveson were not available to carry out their current roles.

The local authority added that the two temporary departures are "entirely unrelated".

Temporary arrangements have been put in place until a full council meeting on 25 June, where councillors will discuss a longer term solution.

Joe McLachlan, the director of finance and digital at the council, will take up the post of acting chief executive and David Mitchell, the chief governance officer, will take up the role of acting depute chief executive.

A spokesperson for the council said: "East Ayrshire Council can confirm that due to unforeseen and entirely unrelated circumstances, and for the foreseeable future, Chief Executive Eddie Fraser and Depute Chief Executive Richard Grieveson are unfortunately not currently available to undertake their duties.

"Interim arrangements have been put in place with immediate effect."

Fraser took over as East Ayrshire's chief executive in 2020, replacing the retiring Fiona Lees.

He first joined the council in 1998, after working with Strathclyde Regional Council and Glasgow City Council.