PETER Moody, who co-founded York estate agency Hudson Moody with Ben Hudson in 1996, has been appointed to lead the Harrogate residential business of Savills estate agency.

Mr Moody sold his stake in Hudson Moody last year to become a freelance consultant when they decided the business did not require two main partners, which was costly in the economic downturn.

His first job was at Savills in York before he moved to the estate agency arm of General Accident, now Your Move, in 1993. In 1996 he joined forces with Mr Hudson to form successful agent Hudson Moody in York city centre, expanding it to six offices by 2010.