Plans to appoint a joint chief executive to cover both Dover and Shepway district councils have faltered after the two authorities failed to agree on who should have the job.

Both the existing top officers applied for the post, and both have been interviewed. But in a joint statement, the two councils said they were now reconsidering the proposal for a joint officer.

Dover council leader Cllr Paul Watkins and Shepway council leader Cllr Robert Bliss, said: “We interviewed two very strong candidates, Nadeem Aziz and Alistair Stewart, both of whom would have been very capable of fulfilling the role and in these circumstances we could not reach a decision on who should be appointed.”