Controversial council chief to go

John Lindsay has worked for East Lothian Council for about 40 years

A council chief, who sparked anger by claiming he was being treated worse than the Virginia Tech killer in a row over his redundancy, is to step down.

East Lothian Council leader John Lindsay was criticised after it was revealed he would receive redundancy cash as well as a pension lump sum.

Mr Lindsay had then emailed council bosses on Wednesday to say he wanted to keep his job after the public outcry.

However, the council has now confirmed he will not return to his post.

Mr Lindsay had awarded himself a £130,000 golden handshake in February, in addition to a pension of £55,000 a year and a lump sum of £155,000.

On Friday, East Lothian Council said Mr Lindsay would not return to his job until he formally leaves the council at the end of July.

The maniac who ran amok in the college in America, murdering 33 people, never got treated like I did John Lindsay

The council added that he had not been suspended and it was in the process of reaching a negotiated settlement with him.

Mr Lindsay's planned departure was part of a council restructuring programme approved by the previous Labour administration that was to save the council £400,000 over four years.

East Lothian is now run by an SNP/Lib Dem coalition.

Mr Lindsay, 59, from Haddington, had previously stated the "maniac who ran amok at that college in America, murdering 33 people, never got treated like I did".

His outburst came as he attempted to justify his initial u-turn on his pay-off.

He said: "My reputation's been trashed in some sections of the press and I am not retiring under a cloud.

"The maniac who ran amok in the college in America, murdering 33 people, never got treated like I did.

"I can't retire under these circumstances, so I am no longer volunteering to be made redundant and will carry on working."

'Darkened room'

Lothians MSP Margo MacDonald said she believed Mr Lindsay needed to take a step back.

She said: "He should go and find a darkened room and have a quiet lie down. He's in a hole and should stop digging."

The council's director of corporate finance, Alex McCrorie, is to take up the post of acting chief executive with effect from Monday.

An East Lothian Council statement said: "The comments attributed to John Lindsay, in which he states he wishes to remain in his post rather than take a redundancy package, were made by him in a personal capacity and do not reflect the opinion of East Lothian Council on these matters."