Shaun Brady

A union leader has said he feels hamstrung by restrictions imposed on him by his executive.

Shaun Brady, leader of Aslef, the union for train drivers and operators, says he has been informed that all his decisions must be approved by the union's eight strong board.

Brady, viewed as a moderate, says the problems began soon after his landslide election victory in which he beat left-winger Mick Rix.

He told the BBC that ideological differences emerged between him and the left-leaning executive.

They came to a head after the executive dismissed a critical report on the union's finances.

Brady is said to have described his position as like being under "house arrest".

Accusations of financial mismanagement within the union stretch back over a decade.

Aslef holds its annual conference in June, when the executive is expected to come under fire from delegates for its performance.