News is slowly filtering out of Knowsley Council about its two most senior officials wanting to quit the Council. In an unprecedented move Chief Executive Mr Steve Gallagher, and his deputy Mr Graham Smith, landed this twin bombshell on the hapless Council leader Ronnie Roundabout last week.

Knowsley Council in keeping with its 'finest traditions' have tried to keep a lid on this disturbing news. Normally its multi million pound funded PR section will use their friends in the Liverpool Daily Post & Echo to trumpet anything to show the devious new labour politicians in a good light. On this there was only a bald statement about Mr Gallagher leaving. With Council leader Round offering the gem 'Steve led us into the 21st Century'

On Mr Smith, nothing, however the Kirkby Times can confirm that as the Councils Director of Planning, he had day to day control over the selling off of all the land in Kirkby, the bringing in of Sonae, and the over development of Kirkby, which has put intolerable pressure on the towns road network, as well as leaving Kirkby without any land supply for now or the future.

Like most of the Council staff who work in Kirkby, we know little about Mr Gallagher, except he is perma- tanned, with a bouffant hairstyle, and has always been based in Huyton during his five years with the Council.

We do however raise an issue in relation to two of the many stories printed on our site about highly controversial land deals, whose accuracy, and factual detail have never been challenged by the Council. The two principal sales, the Liverpool FC Academy, and the selling off of freeholds to labour clubs run by the Councillors who authorised and voted on the sales; are matters that occurred before Mr Gallagher came to the Council.

The Chief Executive of any Council has, by virtue of government statute, enormous power and responsibility over all of the Council, and in turn the population it serves. Our question is why, in these circumstances did Mr Gallagher take no action to establish how these two scandals where allowed to take place, and which may have cost council taxpayers multi - millions of pounds in lost revenue, and almost certainly involve law breaking.

When senior people look to bail out at the same time, you can bet something is afoot.

Perhaps Mr Gallagher may have found out that with the likelihood of Regional Government by 2006, Knowsley will vanish, or these scandals are likely to appear in a Sunday Newspaper.

We will of course keep you informed