A year after taking on what was dubbed the toughest job in Scotland, Aberdeen City Council Chief Executive Sue Bruce claims taking on the post is the best move she ever made.

When she arrived, the local authority was millions of pounds in the red and cuts it had made to save money had prompted mass protests in the city’s streets.

When Ms Bruce arrived in the north-east she was asked by a member of the press if she was mad - a question she has been asked more than once.

Ms Bruce said: "I have had a number of comments made to me about the degrees of madness that brought me here, but I have to tell you it was the best move I ever made. It's a great job."

With a £60million debt, the council has had to make deeply unpopular decisions about funding cuts - axing money to charities, schools and leisure facilities.

Now she must make plans for another £20million of potential cuts next year.

Ms Bruce said: "I don't think there's any doubt at all about the fact we will be into a shrinkage of the budget overall, in common with the rest of the public sector.

“On one hand that's quite challenging, it's quite worrying for people who control services. It's hard for officers who come into public service to do their best and do well and it doesn't sit easily with them to think they have to stop doing something or reduce doing something.

“But it's a great opportunity to do things differently. If ever there was an opportunity to change - this is it."

When asked how schools closing and charities losing their budgets sit on her conscience Ms Bruce replied: "This is a business, this is a multi-million pound business and we have to use good business acumen.

“It's about understanding if we haven't got the money we simply cannot spend it.

“We have had lots of news about individuals using credit cards and getting into trouble. We are in exactly the same position if you don't have the money you cannot spend it."

Next week Ms Bruce will celebrate 33 years as a civil servant - she believes it will take the next five years of her career to turn Aberdeen around.

However, she is adamant that she has never regretted taking up her latest challenging position.

She said: "No never. It's great I’m really, really enjoying it. Occasionally I get tired, occasionally I get hungry. I have missed a lot of lunches, but what a great place to work."