CALLS for the chief executive of Pembrokeshire County Council to resign are again echoing around the county following the recent conviction of a former youth worker of child sex offences.

Michael ‘Mik’ Smith was sentenced earlier this month to six years in prison for abusing a child after he was sacked from the local authority.

In a BBC Week In, Week Out programme tonight (Tuesday July 13 BBC1 Wales, 10.35pm) whistleblower Sue Thomas said she had warned bosses about Smith’s inappropriate behaviour and raised concerns he posed a risk in 2005 but he was only given a verbal warning.

Further complaints were made about him in 2009 and 2011.

Labour Regional AM Joyce Watson told the programme that chief executive Bryn Parry-Jones should step down following this latest scandal.

Smith was sacked in 2012 following a CSSIW and Estyn investigation which was highly critical of the safeguarding procedures at the county council.

Mrs Watson told Week In, Week Out: “I think it’s time for him to go and I’m not fighting shy of saying that.

“He has been the permanency in all of the negative reports that have been there and there have been a number of them.

“You cannot be the highest paid chief executive in Wales because you are worth that money and preside over failure. Repeated failure.”

A council spokesman said: “The council’s investigation at the time revealed no evidence of criminal activity, and since that time the council has completely changed its procedures and management of the education department and is confident that past failings would not be repeated now.”