SIMON Stallworthy, Bolton Octagon's Executive Director, is leaving the theatre in September when his contract expires.

He plans to return to his writing and directing career.

Before his Octagon appointment, Mr Stallworthy directed a large proportion of the work of the Hull Truck Theatre Company and also wrote a play which toured nationally.

Mr Stallworthy, who took over the debt-troubled theatre last September, said: "It's been a tremendous year for both me and the Octagon and I've thoroughly enjoyed my time here. However, I felt that to a large extent I've achieved what I set out to do and now have more personal gaols to attain.

"My commitment to the Octagon remains as strong as ever and I hope to continue to have a highly productive relationship with my home theatre."

During his tenure at the Octagon, Mr Stallworthy has seen the theatre's accumulated deficit wiped out and the paying off of final sums which were owed as part of the Silver Anniversary Appeal.

Earlier this year Mr Stallworthy described how it had been a hard slog to bring back the theatre from a "budget deficit".

He said then morale was high with plenty of in-house productions.

Mr Stallworthy will direct the Octagon's last play of the autumn season, Misconceptions.

No announcement has yet been made about Mr Stallworthy's successor.