The council director at the centre of the baby ashes scandal in Aberdeen has resigned.

Pete Leonard was responsible for Aberdeen Crematorium, where babies and foetuses were secretly cremated alongside adults for years.

A national inquiry led by former lord advocate Dame Elish Angiolini described the practice as "unethical and abhorrent".

It examined 200 cases at 14 Scottish crematoria but said the "most serious issues" involved Aberdeen Crematorium and branded the actions of staff "deeply disturbing".

Mr Leonard was criticised for describing the overnight cremation of babies as "slow cooking".

The infrastructure director missed a meeting to discuss the impact of the scandal in August because he was on leave and it not believed to have returned to work.

His contract ended on April 30 but the city council did not announce his resignation until Friday. A spokesman said he had suffered a "period of ill health".

Aberdeen City Council chief executive Angela Scott added: "On behalf of the council I would like to thank Pete for over 12 years of service, during which time the Council has faced a number of significant challenges.

"As a member of the corporate management team he has helped steer the organisation through those challenges. I wish Pete well for the future."

More than 140 families are seeking compensation from the city council over the baby ashes scandal.

Dame Elish's inquiry followed revelations about Mortonhall Crematorium in Edinburgh, where staff secretly buried the ashes of babies.