CLYDESDALE Bank has hired a partner from accountancy firm Deloitte as its new chief financial officer.

Ian Smith will join the bank next month and serve on its UK executive committee reporting in to chief executive David Thorburn. Mr Smith, a chartered accountant, has also spent time in finance roles with Lloyds Banking Group and HBOS.

Mr Thorburn said: "Ian brings tremendous expertise and experience gained from over 20 years of broad-based finance roles in both the financial and manufacturing sectors."

Mr Smith replaces Scott Butterworth who took up a wider role at NAB Group in Australia in April this year.

The latest hire comes after Clydesdale announced last month that financial services veteran Jim Pettigrew was to be its new chairman.