A RESIDENT EXCLUSIVE
By DAISY SAMPSON
daisy.sampson@the-resident.com
BRITISH CONSUL Celia Edwards leaves her post today (Monday) after just one year to return to the UK because of family reasons and to pursue her legal career.
A spokesman from the British Embassy told The Resident: “We can confirm that Celia has resigned from her post for personal reasons. Staff at the consulate in Portimão will be handling everything until a new Head of Post is found. Assistance and support for British persons both living and holidaying in the Algarve will continue as normal.”
Celia stood down from her post on Monday and a spokesman from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office confirmed that the British Embassy was now actively recruiting a replacement for the Consulate in Portimão.
In a statement issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the British Embassy said: “We are grateful for Celia Edwards contribution to the consulate and for the work she did in the Algarve over the past year.”
In an email to business people in the Algarve, Celia Edwards gave an insight into her decision: “I have also been away from my family, who remained in London throughout my year in post.”
The former consul, who was also Head of Post, said: “It has been a good and challenging year for Portimão, where I have dealt with high profile cases and also been involved in the merger of the consular operations in Portugal and Spain into a single entity.”
The biggest high profile event Celia Edwards faced in her one-year tenure was helping to deal with many aspects of the case of missing Madeleine McCann and the subsequent naming of Gerry and Kate McCann as arguidos or suspects in her disappearance.
