"Axe Mad Max, the Butcher of Hackney," said protest posters in the early stages of Max Caller's reign as the borough's chief executive. It was an unprecedented campaign of vilification against a council employee.

But Mr Caller, who was installed as interim chief executive of Haringey Council last week, took it on the chin, safe in the knowledge that his tough medicine was helping a council on the brink of collapse towards better times.

"I knew what I was doing. I didn't have to stay and do it, but people wanted better," he said. "I cannot imagine anything worse than what I found in Hackney it was a special case."

Heart problems forced his retirement from the borough in 2004 after five years, during which time the authority was listed among the top ten of councils showing the most improvement.

Mr Caller's doctors gave the self-confessed workaholic the go-ahead to start at Haringey last Tuesday.

His motivation for doing so his addiction to local government. "Being a chief executive is such a drug. It's one of the most exciting things in the world," he explained.

"It's the most interesting, frustrating, drive-you-crazy job, yet it has got rewards local government makes real improvements in people's lives."

Though now only working four days a week, the father-of-four is still prepared for the odd 14-hour day. "I used to do 80 hours a week, but I cannot do that any more," he admitted.

His first impressions of Haringey Council are good. "This is a better borough than people give it credit for," he said. "Some years ago Haringey had a bad reputation, now it's up to fair' and we are on a path that will take us to excellent'."

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Mr Caller would not be drawn on speculation surrounding the unexpected departure of his predecessor, David Warwick. He said he was busy in Albania at the time overseeing the country's parliamentary elections for the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

"My job is to make sure we make progress on our key objectives and hand over to a permanent successor who will be here for years to come," he said.

That person will not be Mr Caller. The 55-year-old, who collected his CBE for services to local government from the Queen two weeks ago, has ruled himself out of the running.

How much the temporary replacement can realistically achieve in a likely six-month stint in the Haringey hot-seat may be limited. But he will bring no-nonsense approach to the role, as well as 30 years of local government experience 16 at chief executive level.

"I am clear, firm and fair, and I cannot be deflected from getting a result," he said.