NORTH Ayshire Council's Chief Executive Elma Murray is stepping down from her post, the Times can exclusively reveal.

Sources close to the council told the Times that the boss of the 2017 APSE Council of the Year will be retiring once a successor was found. 

Ms Murray, who was awarded an OBE in the 2018 New Year's Honours List, has been at North Ayrshire Council since her appointment in 2009. 

For full reaction to the news, see next week's Times.