A Scots university graduate is the latest to senior solictior to resign from the struggling national inquiry into child abuse.
It is understood that Aileen McColgan, has quit because of serious concerns over the leadership within The Independent Inquiry into Child Abuse set up by then Home Secretary Theresa May.
Originally from Derry, Northern Ireland, and holding degrees from Trinity College Cambridge and Edinburgh University, Ms McColgan was the barrister leading the inquiry's investigations into the Anglican and Catholic Church.
The inquiry said that lawyers come and go according to their professional obligations - and that would not discuss specifics.
It comes just two weeks after Tony Fisher, one of the first three barristers appointed to the inquiry, quit. He was said to be concerned by the inquiry's "progress and direction.
His departure came just a fortnight after Dame Lowell Goddard quit as the inquiry's third chairman.
It is believed Ms McColgan, Professor of Law at King's College London, had concerns over the inquiry's leadership and the way it had previously responded to the resignation of lawyers instructed by it.
Two weeks ago Professor Alexis Jay, the fourth chair of the beleaguered inquiry admitted that one in six staff have quit the inquiry since it was set up 18 months ago. Labour MP Lisa Nandy said of the latest development: "The loss of so many senior members of the inquiry over a short space of time should sound alarm bells for government.
"It really is time that there is some oversight and accountability of this inquiry which is too important to fail."
She added: "We have had a whole series of ministers and civil servants and members of the inquiry panel telling us that the inquiry is back on track and yet repeatedly we learn that there are still issues with the inquiry and it is no wonder that a number of survivors don't have confidence that the inquiry can succeed."
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