THE head of Hutchison Ports UK is to leave the company later this year, it has emerged.

The news comes less than two months after David Gledhill returned to his role as chief executive after a six-month sabbatical to help him recover from a health problem.

As chief executive, Mr Gledhill is responsible for Hutchison’s operations at the Port of Felixstowe, Harwich International Port and London Thamesport.

Hutchison Ports and Mr Gledhill both declined to comment yesterday, beyond confirming that he is to leave the company later this year.

Mr Gledhill began his career with a port agency business in Dover, working his way up through a number of different port agencies at various ports around the UK.

He went on to work as an industry trouble shooter and also spent time working for removal firm Pickfords, in its freight forwarding business and then as its commercial director.

He began working for Hutchison at London Thamesport before coming to Felixstowe as commercial director in 2000.

Following a spell as chief operating officer, he was promoted to the role of chief executive in 2009.

In recent years he has overseen major expansion at Felixstowe with the £300million project to create two new deepwater berths for the world’s biggest ships, and the start on a new rail terminal.