WIGAN Council is seeking a new £100,000 a year education chief.

The search is on for a successor to its inspirational director of education, Bob Clark, who has announced he will retire in November.

Council bosses say they are looking for an outstanding replacement who can keep Leigh and Wigan at the very top of the educational ladder.

Bob's nine year stint has seen the borough's education service win a glowing report from Ofsted inspectors and a reputation as one of the UK's top performers.

In 1999 Bob was seconded to Liverpool for three months and was widely credited for saving the city's education service from privatisation after it failed its Ofsted inspection. The following year he was awarded the CBE for services to education.

Bob has had the ear of successive ministers, including David Blunkett and Estelle Morris, and is widely respected throughout the education world.

The 55-year-old native of Portsmouth, who was a teacher and deputy head before going into local government came to Wigan in 1994 from the Wirral.

Bob said: "I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in Wigan and I am proud of the department and the borough's schools. I will leave with some regrets but with the quality of people here the education system should go from strength to strength."

Chief executive Steve Jones said: "Bob has been an inspirational director. He has transformed our education department into one that has a national reputation for excellence."

The advertisement which appears in national newspapers this weeks asks: "How do you build on the success of a department that is ranked excellent within an excellent council? This is an outstanding opportunity to make your mark with a dynamic team that has an enviable national reputation."