One of Whitehall's most senior women is leaving to head a charity. Dame Helen Ghosh will stand down next month as permanent secretary at the Home Office to take up the role of director general of the National Trust.

After a 33-year career in the civil service, Dame Helen said she felt 'very torn' about going and would do everything she could to leave the department in the best-possible shape for the future. Dame Helen, who had previously been permanent secretary at the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, only took up her current post at the start of last year.