THE author of a report which sharply criticised the Co-operative over the near-collapse of its banking arm has been appointed to the group's board.

Sir Christopher Kelly said the group had badly let down its millions of members by its failure to provide "proper stewardship" to the lender, which was dragged down by its disastrous merger with the Britannia building society.

Now the former Treasury mandarin has been named senior non-independent director of the food-to-funerals group and will help recruit members for an entirely new board which will be in operation from next May.

Simon Burke was also named as a non-executive director. He holds a similar role at the BBC and has previously been chairman of both BathStore and Hobbycraft.