​More revelations as aid charity struggles to explain why it allowed top executive to remain in post

Aid charity Save the Children has confirmed a senior executive remained in post for two decades before sacking him over historical safeguarding concerns.

Rudolph von Bernuth held a variety of senior posts at the charity including the post of international programmes director beofre being sacked for serious misconduct linked to past behaviour in 2014.

Save the Children would only say that allegations concerned Von Bernuth’s behaviour before and during his employment by the charity and said that “serious concerns were raised about him.”

The UK Charity Commission confirmed his dismissal was linked to “historic child safeguarding concerns.”

A spokesperson said: “Our records from 2014 indicate that the charity Save the Children International made a serious incident report to us in March 2014, relating to a staff member and historic child safeguarding concerns ... we established that the individual in question was suspended and later had his employment terminated by the charity.”

Bosses at the charity have admitted they are concerned with recruitment procedures but refused to confirm whether or not they had asked for a reference before hiring Von Bernuth.

It comes at a difficult time for the organisation as staff demand the removal of Sir Alan Parker as its international chairman over complaints of inappropriate behaviour.

They believe he should step down because of failures to deal with the complaints from staff against the charity’s former chief executive, Justin Forsyth, and the former policy director Brendan Cox, the widower of murdered MP Jo Cox.

Save the Children said it would now look at how it handles misconduct allegations and would order a review of all prior investigations.