A TEESSIDE council has appointed a new assistant chief executive.

She is Jenny Haworth, previously head of policy and performance at Stockton Borough Council.

She will be responsible for the communications department which was previously run by Jane Knox who was sacked and is claiming unfair dismissal. A tribunal chairman is currently considering the case.

Ms Haworth, who will also be responsible for policy and performance, joins the authority's corporate management team.

After growing up in the North-East, Ms Haworth studied maths at Nottingham University before completing an MSc in management science at Warwick.

Following private sector work in both IT and finance, she moved to Coventry City Council before joining the Audit Commission as a performance specialist, working first in the Midlands and later the North.

She moved to Stockton council in 2001 to specialise in policy and performance work.

She said: "I'm looking forward to taking on the role of assistant chief executive, and in particular to working with my colleagues here at Stockton to continue improving our services. I have been impressed by the regeneration which has already taken place in the Tees Valley and it's an exciting prospect to play a role in carrying this forward."

Outside work, Jenny enjoys outdoor sports, particularly running and skiing, and has also dabbled in amateur dramatics.