THE head of one of the North-East's most popular tourist attractions has resigned during one of its busiest periods.

Miriam Harte, director of Beamish Museum, near Stanley, County Durham, made the announcement last night as schools all over the country are on their summer holidays.

She said that "current structures and management arrangements" of the organisation were the reasons for her departure after six years in charge.

The museum is the UK's largest open-air museum, set in more than 300 acres of countryside.

It attracted more than 320,000 people from around the world last year, and faithfully recreates what life was like in a 1913 mining community.

The Northern Echo understands it follows disagreements over the way the museum is supported by local authorities.

Ms Harte said: "Despite many efforts to raise and address key issues, I now believe that it is impossible for me to properly discharge the duties of the director of this organisation because of the current structures and management arrangements, and the way in which these are exercised. I have therefore felt obliged to resign."

Ms Harte, from Low Fell, Gateshead, was previously the director Bede's World, in South Tyneside.

During her time at Beamish, she achieved the England for Excellence gold award in 2005.

It is undergoing a multi-million expansion plan and has recently opened a Masonic Hall, the Georgian landscape and a Regional Resource Centre.

Ms Harte has helped secure funding and launched plans for a new visitor centre.

She is also a board member of North-East Museums Libraries and Archives Council, Northern Cultural Skills Partnership, and a director of Audiences North- East.

Beamish Museum falls within the constituency of north Durham MP Kevan Jones.

He said: "As a staunch supporter of Beamish, I am shocked by Miriam Harte's resignation.

"It is important that the local authorities involved look in detail at the reasons and make changes accordingly."

The attraction is governed by the joint committee for the North of England Open Air Museum, which is mostly made up of councillors from across the region.

Committee chairman, Sunderland Councillor Mel Speding, said he would not comment on Ms Harte's resignation as it was a "personnel matter".