A petition has been launched urging Haringey Council not to hire Nick Walkley as the new chief executive.

Last week it was announced Mr Walkley had been offered the role of chief executive of Haringey Council.

Mr Walkley resigned from the same role at Barnet Council where he was instrumental in the privatisation of key council services.

The petition, on the website gopetition.com, calls on the council to oppose his appointment and any plans for mass outsourcing of council services.

Creator of the petition, Alex Williams, said: “We are alarmed to hear that Haringey proposes to employ the controversial Chief Executive of Barnet 'easyCouncil', Nick Walkley, who is jumping ship from a failing mass privatisation programme in Barnet that will cost taxpayers millions.

“We do not want this expensive experiment repeated in Haringey.”

Mr Walkley’s start date has yet to be confirmed and his appointment is subject to ratification by Full Council which is due to meet on Tuesday, October, 16.

At that meeting members of the Haringey Alliance for Public Services plan to protest the appointment of the new CEO and have called for local groups to meet outside Haringey Civic Centre, in Wood Green.