BROMLEY Council has appointed a new legal eagle after former borough secretary Walter Million’s retirement.

Timothy Leader, 41, is currently chief legal officer at Gloucestershire County Council and takes up his new post in August.

As a planning law specialist, Mr Leader could hit the ground running after the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust was given the go-ahead to extend Royal Bethlem Hospital, in Beckenham.

He said: “I’m delighted to be coming to Bromley at a time when there is a real sense of ambition to improve the quality of the council’s services.” The post of borough secretary will be renamed director of legal and democratic services.