Aberdeen City Council's director of education, culture and sport, Annette Bruton, has been identified as the preferred candidate for the post of chief executive at the Care Inspectorate, Scotland's independent regulator of social care and social work services.

Mrs Bruton has been employed at Aberdeen City Council since August 2009, and previously worked as a chief inspector with Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education. She has had a distinguished career in the field of education, and will continue in her post of director until early next year.