Incoming Northumberland County Council chief executive Helen Paterson receives glowing praise from former colleagues

Dr Helen Paterson will quit Walsall Council as the head of paid service and join Northumberland County Council next month.

Council leader Mike Bird said he was sorry to see her go and credited her with leaving the authority in better health than she found it.

And Labour group leader Aftab Nawaz added he was grateful for the advice and support she had given him during tough times.

Both added she had shown her caring side when they had suffered from personal health issues.

Councillor Bird said: “It has been my great pleasure to work with Helen. Although the chief executive is often criticised as the person who does nothing and just sits there, she’s not one of them.

“If we look back at what we’ve achieved under the guidance of our chief executive and the officer structure, we’ve achieved £70 million worth of savings in the five years she’s been here.

“It is with sadness that I see Helen leave. She consulted with me prior to the application for the job and I said to her ‘it will be our loss and their gain’.”

Councillor Nawaz added: “The job of a chief executive is primarily with the leader of the council but there is a lot of interaction with the leader of the opposition.

“Helen has been a good adviser and given good counsel. The Labour Party went through some difficult times and in that time, Helen was a source of confidential advice and also a source of humour.”