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Lakehouse chief executive Stuart Black has quit 鈥� just three days after the firm鈥檚 founder and biggest shareholder returned to the board.

Black (pictured), who joined the firm as executive chairman from Mears nearly eight years ago, had been criticised by Steve Rawlings as part of a boardroom row over the future direction of the firm.

Earlier this year, the firm issued a profit warning sending its shares tumbling and Rawlings, who set up the firm in 1988, told 好色先生TV earlier this month that his own stake in the company had nosedived by nearly half to just over 拢12m.

Rawlings and fund manager Slater Investments, who between them own more than 20% of the business, were demanding that Lakehouse鈥檚 three non-executive directors, Chris Geoghegan, Jill Ainscough and Jonathan Ford, go and be replaced by Rawlings, former Atkins finance director Ric Piper and Robert Legget, managing director of fund group Progressive Value Management.

All three joined the board on Monday 鈥� just 24 hours before a special general meeting was due to take place to discuss Rawlings鈥� plans 鈥� with the move claiming the scalp of Geoghegan although Ainscough and Ford survived.

Explaining why he wanted Piper and Legget to join the board with him, Rawlings poured scorn on the current management when he said: 鈥淚鈥檇 also like to bring a couple of guys with me who I have got confidence in鈥�. He added that he wanted to have people who 鈥渒now about managing plcs鈥�.

Rawlings said he was concerned the firm鈥檚 regeneration arm is 鈥済oing backwards鈥� and added: 鈥淚鈥檇 like to know what鈥檚 going on and what鈥檚 gone wrong. I know the people in that company and they are calling me every week and I think the wrong people are in place.鈥�

Black, who was paid 拢250,000 last year for three days a week work as executive chairman, had criticised Rawlings and Slater and said their intervention was 鈥渉ugely destabilising. We鈥檇 like it to stop as quickly as possible.鈥�

In a statement released to the Stock Exchange, Lakehouse said: 鈥淭he Company announces that Stuart Black has resigned as Chief Executive Officer. In line with his contractual obligations, he has provided six months鈥� notice, commencing today. The Board looks forward to working with Stuart to effect an orderly handover of his responsibilities.鈥�

Black鈥檚 profile has already been removed from the firm鈥檚 website. He stepped into the chief executive鈥檚 post after Sean Birrane left the role last month with immediate effect