SUNDERLAND City Council has a new chief executive.

Ged Fitzgerald, former chief executive of Rotherham council, has been chosen as the successor to Colin Sinclair, who retires at the end of the year after ten years.

The four short-listed candidates for his job underwent a rigorous three-day selection process.

Mr Fitzgerald, 42, is married with a four-year-old daughter and is a keen football fan and athlete.

He said: "Sunderland is a fantastic city, with enormous potential, and the city council has already proven itself with top performing services and successful regeneration.

"There are big challenges on the horizon, which will provide me with a wonderful platform to take these developments on to the next level."