Scottish SPCA chief executive Stuart Earley resigns

The chief executive of the Scottish SPCA has resigned from the animal welfare charity.

Stuart Earley, 59, had faced criticism over his salary, which was around 拢216,000 last year.

The deal, which included bonuses, was believed to make him the highest-paid charity boss in Scotland.

Scottish SPCA staff were told that the board had accepted their chief executive's resignation and that he was standing down with immediate effect.

In a statement, the board thanked Mr Earley for what it called his "invaluable contribution" to the positive transformation of the society over the past nine years.

Mr Earley has previously defended his salary, arguing it was justified by the results achieved under his leadership.

He described coverage of his pay, which was set independently by a charity remuneration board, as "frustrating" - insisting that the charity now helps twice as many animals as when he took over in 2007.