MANCHESTER surveyors Lambert Smith Hampton has been plunged into crisis by the resignation of six directors.

Rating expert Gareth Buckley, industrial agents Mike Rooney and Simon Hampson, office specialist Michael Hawkins, building surveyor Dominic Horridge and the chief executive of the Manchester office, Mark Williams, have all abandoned the troubled property business to set up their own firm.

The move deepens the nationwide turmoil at LSH and deprives the firm of many of its best-known figures in the north west.

The loss of Hawkins will be particularly felt: he is acknowledged to be one of the most effective office agents, and a frequent award-winner.

The resignations follows a series of damaging departures around the UK as the firm struggles to recover from a management overhaul and the collapse of a management buy-out. UK chief executive Chris Boulton was ousted, Ben Coleman quit the firm's Northampton office, and Richard Coke quit as eastern region boss in March. The firm sacked London head Archie Cowan in February.

Neither northern regional chief executive Alan Solomons nor any of those leaving the firm would comment. However, Mark Rigby, the new UK chief executive of LSH, said: "Naturally, we are disappointed to see these individuals go - but LSH's Manchester office remains the dominant force in the north west, with more than 90 staff. We have to accept these departures as part of the natural dynamics of a service business. Our focus now is to recruit rapidly and appoint the right calibre people. We are pursuing this as a priority to guarantee the continuing delivery of first-class property services - something we have been doing successfully for 100 years."

Following Mark Williams' resignation as head of office, Peter Skelton will assume this role, working with managing partner David Boddington and regional director Alan Solomons.

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