A council leader has resigned after a journalist’s investigation into the authority’s finances.

Rob Gledhill, leader of Thurrock Council, has quit after Local Government Secretary Greg Clark appointed Essex County Council to serve as commissioner due to the authority’s level of financial risk and debt.

The move comes after Gareth Davies, who works for The Bureau of Investigative Journalism’s The Bureau Local project, became locked in a three-year battle with the Tory-run council after it refused his Freedom of Information requests to make details of deals worth hundreds of millions of pounds public.

He previously revealed Thurrock had borrowed £1bn from other local authorities and then invested hundreds of millions of pounds in a “complex and potentially risky” series of bonds connected to solar farms.

Last month Gareth, pictured, accused local authorities of “hampering” regional reporters across the country carrying out similar investigations.

Speaking to HTFP, he said: “The resignation of Cllr Gledhill and the intervention by the Government show the gravity of our findings.

“The council spent years rejecting our findings and insisted nothing was wrong.

“I hope examples like this embolden local reporters across the country who have faced similar responses when attempting to scrutinise public authorities.”

Thurrock Nub News editor Neil Speight, who has also carried out extensive investigations into the council’s finances, credited the Bureau for bringing about Cllr Gledhill’s downfall, saying its recent stories “may well have tipped the government and others over the edge.”

Neil told HTFP: “After nearly six years of unrelenting pressure, Thurrock Council finally acknowledges it has been screwing up, lies have been told and the public misled.

“I have been condemned and vilified for my stance against Thurrock Council by its senior officers. They have lied and cheated and accused me of all sorts – including two media bans.

“Twice they have dragged me to IPSO saying my statement they are a council with contempt for democracy and obsessed with secrecy over its business is not true. And today payback begins!”

Announcing his resignation, Councillor Gledhill said: “The political buck stops with me.”

Describing the appointment of a commissioner as “necessary”, Mr Clark said: “I strongly believe that when a council gets into difficulties, its local government neighbours should be the preferred source of help in turning it around.

“I know that Essex County Council possesses the expertise and ability to help.”