Mr Shane Reihill has resigned unexpectedly from the board of Providence Resources, the small quoted oil exploration company. Providence announced yesterday it had "received the resignation of Mr Shane Reihill as a non-executive director with effect from today". A company spokesman said Mr Reihill had left to pursue other business interests.

Mr Reihill joined the Providence board when it was spun off from Arcon Resources in 1997 and is close to Mr Tony O'Reilly jnr, whose family controls Arcon and Providence. Mr O'Reilly was a director of Tedcastle Holdings, the Reihill family oil business until last September. He resigned following a re-organisation under which Mr Reihill stepped down as joint managing director and sold his interest in Tedcastle to his uncle Mr John Reihill.