LEADING loyalist Dee Stitt has resigned as chief executive of east Belfast community organisation Charter NI.
The north Down UDA commander had been under increasing scrutiny over his role in the organisation since he described the loyalist flute band North Down Defenders as "our homeland security".
Charter NI was awarded management of £1.7m of public money in 2016 for an employability project.
In a statement, the organisation said "negative media attention has been a great strain on David and his family and we offer them our continued support."
In April this year, Stitt told The Irish News he planned to continue in his chief executive role despite pressure on him to stand down after it was revealed a huge windfall of Social Investment Fund (SIF) money had been awarded to the community group.
"I thought that investment in this community was a brilliant thing, and if I did something wrong in relation to that then please tell me," he said.
