THE chairman of Citizens Advice Scotland has resigned in the latest blow for the crisis-hit charity.

Dominic Notarangelo stepped down with immediate effect, and will be replaced by the organisation’s Vice Chair, Agnes Robson, until a permanent replacement is appointed.

Ms Robson, a former senior civil servant and member of the main management board of the then-Scottish Executive, is also a former board member of Citizens Advice Edinburgh, where she has been a volunteer advisor for the last eight years.

She said: “While this is a period of challenge for CAS, I know from my experiences as a volunteer and a board member that the network fulfils a hugely valuable role in Scottish society and has deep roots in local communities.

“I am personally committed to ensuring that the outcome of our current governance review will enhance the ability of the organisation to support the Citizens Advice network as a whole to deliver the essential services on which our clients rely.”

The latest shake-up comes after the organisation's finance chief, Jon Dye, quit in February and its chief executive, Margaret Lynch, was fired following an investigation into her expenses and use of the company credit card.

Auditors discovered that Ms Lynch had made up to £4,890 of cash withdrawals from a CAS credit card and authorised a £6,000 payment to a local advice service in Dumfries and Galloway after a CAS committee had turned down the application.

CAS is the umbrella body for the 61 member bureaux that advise over 300,000 people every year on finance, welfare and consumer issues.