Bradford Council has shelved its search for a new, high-flying chief executive after three people dropped out of its six-strong short list within weeks.

The latest withdrawal came at the weekend and as a result the Council announced the final interviews, due to take place on Thursday, had been cancelled. The Council is offering a salary of about £170,000 for the right candidate but has said that, in some circumstances, that could be increased to £200,000.

Tomorrow the appointments panel, made up of Tory Council leader Margaret Eaton, Liberal Democrat leader Jeanette Sunderland and Labour leader Ian Greenwood, will meet to decide the way ahead. Meanwhile, acting chief executive Philip Robinson will remain at the helm of Britain's fourth biggest metropolitan authority.

It puts Bradford in the same predicament as Hertfordshire County Council which has also suffered problems in getting the right short list.

The Council advertised for a replacement for former chief executive Ian Stewart in May, inviting high flyers to take on the "ultimate challenge".

The advertisement drew 43 applications which were whittled down to the six-strong short list with no female contenders.

Coun Eaton said today she could not name the contenders who had dropped out or speculate on what the appointment panel would decide to do next.

But she added the task of running Bradford Council with its 23,000 employees and £500 million budget was huge and the new top officer would be expected to maintain and improve standards in a local authority which had been rated good in the new audit commission comprehensive performance assessment.

"We must do everything possible to ensure we find the right person," she said.

But Bradford South Labour MP Gerry Sutcliffe - a former Bradford Council leader - said: "This is a major embarrassment for Bradford. They went high profile on pay and they have now had to climb down because they are not able to appoint anybody. It's appalling."

Mr Sutcliffe said he would seek a meeting with the authority about the situation.