The managing director of broadband communications company NTL, Mr Brian Moore, has left the group. Mr Moore's sudden departure was announced yesterday. He had taken over at the helm of NTL in February last year.

NTL's sales director in the Republic, Mr Liam Duggan, takes over as acting managing director. However, he said yesterday he had no idea how long he would fill the position. "That is something that will have to be discussed," he said.

A brief statement from NTL said Mr Moore had decided to leave in order to set up his own business.

His departure comes just one week after Mr Stephen Bond, director of IT and networking, also left the company. A spokeswoman for NTL said the two departures were unrelated and Mr Bond had resigned because he wished to return to his native Northern Ireland.

In January 2001, just before Mr Moore took over as managing director, the company unexpectedly announced it was delaying the roll-out of its digital television and internet broadband network until it had completed a full review of its Irish operations.

It was intended that Mr Moore's appointment would separate the British and Irish businesses. Mr Moore had more than four years' experience in the sector in the Republic at that time. He was chief negotiator for Cablelink during the NTL acquisition of the firm from RTÉ.

Earlier this year, NTL stepped back from its plans to offer customers a full range of interactive services following cost cutting. After the cost cutting, services such as home banking and shopping through digital television, which were originally planned, were dropped.

The company had planned to offer a digital television service nationwide but then decided to upgrade only certain areas including Galway, Waterford and parts of Dublin.

In March, NTL said it would continue with its original broadband plan but it would not happen until next year.