Mervyn Pilley has resigned as chief executive of the Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) after only six months in the post.

The trade organisation for the property search industry said the resignation followed a series of discussions in the new year between Pilley and the council, which led to a ‘mutual agreement that it would be best if he left’.

Kate Nicholls (pictured), head of communications at CoPSO, will take over the role on an interim basis.

In a statement, Ronnie Park, a member of the council’s executive committee, said: ‘Sadly, I can confirm that the CoPSO executive committee has accepted the resignation of Mervyn with immediate effect. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Mervyn for all the hard work and effort he has put in to addressing the issues that the industry currently faces. The council will now be looking to take the baton passed on by him and to tackle the wide range of issues that CoPSO members face both immediately and in the future.’

Pilly said: ‘Following a number of conversations with the executive committee in January, I decided that it would be appropriate for me to submit my resignation as CoPSO chief executive.’

Pilley said he is ‘now looking forward to seeking new challenges elsewhere’.