A NEW chief executive today took over the reigns at Bolton Council following the retirement of Bernard Knight.
A retirement party marked the end of 10 years at the helm for Mr Knight who stepped down on Friday.
His successor Sean Harriss, aged 38, spent last week shadowing Mr Knight to ensure a smooth handover.
Mr Harriss is a familiar face to many town hall staff - he previously worked in the chief executive's office for 10 years.
He left Bolton in 2003 to become assistant chief executive at Oldham Council, where he became executive director of strategy and resources.
Mr Harriss, whose post was advertised as offering a salary package of up to £160,000, said: "I'm delighted to be back working in Bolton.
"The town has a real buzz. It's a really exciting time to rejoin the Bolton family and there are great opportunities to regenerate the town, work with partners and achieve some important improvements for people."
Mr Harriss lives in Haslingden with his partner Tracy.
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