BURNLEY Council's new chief executive knows how difficult it can be for a Yorkshireman to fit in in Lancashire.

But Steve Rumbelow has vowed to do everything he can to become part of the town, including turning away from his life-long love of Sheffield Wednesday to cheer on the Clarets.

The 44-year-old former Manchester City Council housing boss openly admits the role is going to be challenging.

"I'm aware that Burnley is a massive football town so I am happy to support Burnley when they are not playing Sheffield Wednesday," he admitted.

"When Burnley are playing I will be one of the most ardent Burnley supporters around!"

Born and brought up in Sheffield, he took on his first job as a teenager at Rotherham Borough Council in the housing department.

He quickly climbed up the ranks in local government spending time at Ashfield District Council in Nottinghamshire, Leeds City Council and finally to become director of housing for Manchester City Council.

Steve, who lives with partner Sheila Doran, who is chief executive of Eastlands Homes in Manchester, in Glossop, Derbyshire, has pledged to work to transform deprived neigbourhoods and build a better and brighter future'.

He said: "This town faced some issues a few years ago with the disturbances but out of that has arisen a sense of change and opportunity.

"We need to create the right sort of opportunities for people by allowing them to work and providing skills so they can get jobs and backing that up by having neighbourhoods where people choose to live, whatever their circumstances.

"It is clear we have to transform neighbourhoods to make them as good as the people who live there and we need to ensure we have a range of housing so people can stay in Burnley their whole life rather than having to leave."

Mr Rumbelow will be leaving his post in the next couple of months to take over from the borough's previous chief executive, Dr Gillian Taylor.

She left the council in December to take up a new role as chief executive of the Academy for Sustainable Communities, an organisation set up by the Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott.

Director of community services Mick Cartledge has been acting chief executive.

Mr Rumbelow has led the housing service in Manchester for the last four years and has achieved impressive results.

And council staff thinking of "pulling a sickie" in Burnley need to beware for he was responsible for introducing a crackdown on absenteeism.

He warned staff who phoned in sick that they could expect a knock on their door from their boss after the 1,600 workers in his department were absent for an average of more than 14 days a year.

The move caused a stir among union leaders who said the new rules had caused "a strong swell of resentment."