Richard Barfield is to quit as chief executive of IT recruiter Spring Group.

At the end of September, he will be replaced by Peter Searle, until recently head of Adecco in the UK.

Barfield has been chief executive of Spring for the last four years. Prior to that, he had been its finance director for two years.

Barfield says he will continue in his role as chairman of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC).