£20m QinetiQ chief quits

QinetiQ, the privatised defence research company, unveiled a top-level shake-up one day after it was criticised for safety failings that caused an explosion on a Royal Air Force Nimrod plane over Afghanistan in 2006, killing 14.

Graham Love is standing down at the end of November to be replaced by Leo Quinn, the former boss of bank note maker De La Rue.

QinetiQ said the move was simple succession planning that had been underway for some time. A spokesman said it was "completely unnconnected" to the Government inquiry into the Nimrod disaster.

Love controversially turned a £106,000 investment in QinetiQ into £20m from the privatisation process.