Carmarthenshire County Council chief executive Mark James has submitted an application for severance, the local authority has announced.

In a statement issued this afternoon, a spokesman for the authority said: “All group leaders of Carmarthenshire County Council have been informed today that an application for severance has been received from the Chief Executive, Mr Mark James.

“This application will be considered in line with the other 360 or so applications that have been received from staff to date.

“As is the case with all applications there is a process to be followed to consider each application over the next three to four months. During this period, it will be business as usual for Mr James who will continue in his role as Chief Executive.

“We will provide updated information as and when appropriate.”

Mr James came under fire earlier this year following the release of two Wales Audit Office Public Interest reports into the activity of the authority.

One questioned the legality of a deal granting Mr James cash payments in lieu of pension contributions while the other questioned the granting of a libel indemnity to the chief executive while he pursued a libel counter-claim against Llanwrda blogger Jacqui Thompson.

Mr James “stepped aside” for the duration of a subsequent police investigation which later cleared Mr James and the authority of any wrong-doing.