TELEVISION personality Richard Whiteley has stepped into a row surrounding the resignation of Heather Hancock as chief executive of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

Whiteley, writing his first column in Dales Life magazine, says the former Whitehall high-flyer had encountered a troubled time.

"But it does seem heads should be banged together and it is unfortunate that her head should have rolled," writes Mr Whiteley, who has a home near Leyburn.

He adds: "We have a huge and precious backyard here - and no one wants to see squabbling. The trouble is, I suspect, the outfit she found herself in is just like any other elected body - with factions, jealousies, self-interested parties and personal ambitions. Most London borough councils and many metropolitan councils have similar troubles."

Mr Whiteley suggests that the authority's name could be partly to blame.

"The organisation entrusted to run and care for our local heritage perhaps suffers from delusions because it has for its name one of the most beautiful and evocative one could imagine - Yorkshire Dales National Park.

"If those who are seduced by these words and get involved in this organisation cannot live with each other, we should abandon this lovely title and replace it with something less appealing - suggestions please," says the Countdown presenter.

Mrs Hancock, 35, who became the first woman to take charge of a national park, resigned in June, complaining about in-fighting in a leaked resignation letter.

She left to take up a post with regional development agency Yorkshire Forward