SHANKS & McEwan, the troubled waste disposal group, has reshuffled its

top management and closed one of its main offices in the wake of the

sudden departure of chief executive Roger Hewitt.

Chairman Gordon Waddell, who took over from Mr Hewitt last month on an

interim basis, said the appointment of Michael Averill as group chief

operation officer was part of a policy of ''decentralisation and

delegation''.

Mr Averill, previously head of the Rechem subsidiary, will take

overall responsibility for the company's three main divisions -- Rechem

and waste management north and south -- and report directly to the

chairman.

''We are looking for ways to cut costs and farm out the responsibility

for the various divisions to the managements that run them,'' explained

Mr Waddell.

''There is obviously an on-going review of all our business operations

and I would think we would have a statement for the shareholders by

mid-March.''

The Aylesbury office, designated headquarters after the move from

Glasgow last year, will be closed and the adminstration personnel moved

to Bourne End, in Berkshire.

Once a darling of the stock market, Shanks has seen its share price

plummet during the past year with no fewer than three profit warnings as

the recession and operational problems took their toll. The surprise

exit of Mr Hewitt over a strategy disagreement merely added to its woes.

Mr Waddell has spoken of very difficult trading conditions, and many

City pundits believe a takeover could be on the cards.

A disappointing interim led to full-year expectations being lowered

and it looks as though even broker forecasts of #17m profit, against

#29.5m previously, must be reduced to around #15m.