The revolving door at Tesco continued to spin today after JD Wetherspoon announced the appointment of the supermarket giant's commercial finance director, Keith Down, a day after Central European clothing boss, Julia Reynolds, quit.

Mr Down is the fifth senior manager to leave Tesco this year.

He is leaving Tesco after four years. Mr Down joined when the company acquired T&S Stores, the convenience chain,for £377 million in 2002.

He will begin as finance director at JD Wetherspoon on January 9, replacing Jim Clarke who is leaving this month to "pursue other career opportunities".

Yesterday, it emerged that Ms Reynolds was leaving Tesco to become chief executive at figleaves.com, the online lingerie retailer, renewing speculation of a "brain drain" at supermarket group.

Tesco has a relatively young board led by chief executive, Sir Terry Leahy, and with little movement at the top, career progression is limited.

Ms Reynolds, who was being groomed to succeed Tesco's international sourcing chief, John Hoerner, will follow Dido Harding, a senior director on the leadership development programme, who announced a move to J Sainsbury last week. Last month, Tesco Direct's Steve Robinson moved on.

During the summer, John Browett, Tesco's operations and IT development director and the former chief executive at Tesco.com, was appointed as chief executive at DSG International, owner of the Curry's electrical goods chain.

In recent years, Tesco has lost other high-flyers to rivals. Scott Wheway left for Boots before the Alliance Unichem takeover and Ken McMeikan joined Sainsbury's.

Tesco was not available for comment.

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