THE two people who were at the helm of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority as the 20th century drew to a close have resigned.

Former chairman Robert Heseltine, resigned after his conviction for false accounting to be followed three days later by Heather Hancock, the chief executive, who is to take up a new post.

Mr Heseltine handed in his resignation to his successor as chairman, Stephen Macare. In it he said he was utterly distraught at writing the letter but had decided to take the honourable course and publicly "fall on my sword".

Mr Heseltine, 55, of Langcliffe, appeared before Teeside Crown Court earlier this month and admitted 12 charges of false accounting involving £1,400. Mr Heseltine, who lost his seat as member of Craven District Council remains on North Yorkshire County Council representing Skipton East and has indicated he will consider his position.

His decision to leave the national park authority is a bitter blow to Mr Heseltine, who was chairman from 1988 to 1999. He steered it through its transition from a committee of the county council to an autonomous body.

However, in his letter, he quotes a former colleague on the national park, the late Derek Swinglehurst, saying that "the churchyard is full of indispensable people".

In his letter of resignation, Mr Heseltine stated: "The Yorkshire Dales are my life, my love and my very reason for being. My commitment to Dalesfolk, their environment, social and economic well being and culture remains absolute. However unknowingly or unwittingly those errors were, I feel that the ultimate sacrifice for myself to make is to safeguard the immediate future of the national park authority by retiring from its membership forthwith."

The resignation of chief executive Heather Hancock was unexpected. She joined the authority in 1998 and is leaving to take up a post with Yorkshire Forward as executive director for the environment and development.

She said: "I am proud to have been associated with a period of such dramatic change in the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority. We have now put the Authority on a proper business-like footing to face the 21st century."

She added that initiatives like the Dare project, bringing new employment and business opportunities to young people, and the authority's response to the farming crisis had all influenced the agenda nationally whilst achieving results locally in the Dales.

Steve Macare, chairman of the authority, said: "Heather Hancock has done a remarkable job in transforming this authority into an organisation fit to meet the many challenges still before us. In addition to comprehensively restructuring the authority, Heather has developed vital partnerships with other agencies necessary to bring maximum benefits to the Dales today and in the future."

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