Bury MBC has appointed Mike Owen – currently the president of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy – as its interim chief executive following the departure of Mike Kelly.

Mr Owen, who is currently director of resource and regulation, will take the helm from March until September, giving the council six-month's headroom to undertake the recruitment of a full time chief executive.

Mr Owen, who has worked at Bury since 1986, said the appointment came as ‘a huge honour'.