Zoo chief to return in changed role

THE boss of Edinburgh Zoo has said he hopes to draw a line under events that have seen the attraction mired in controversy for months after concluding an internal investigation into one of its most senior staff.

Iain Valentine, the director of animals, conservation and education, was one of several staff suspended in April this year amid "very serious" allegations. Mr Valentine, who had played a major role in bringing the two giant pandas to Edinburgh, has now been cleared to return to work in what appears to be a reduced role.

He will no longer be in charge of education and will instead focus on conservation and research, although there was no confirmation over whether this was a demotion, with the zoo saying it was part of an organisational change. The outcome of the investigation was being kept strictly confidential, with the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) saying only that it had been concluded.

It was reported in May that every allegation against Mr Valentine had been declared unfounded. However, yesterday the zoo released a statement by chief executive Hugh Roberts that seemed to suggest Mr Valentine was being stripped of some duties as a result of the investigation. Mr Roberts said: "The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland has completed a disciplinary investigation into Iain Valentine and a full hearing has been held, the details of which are, and will remain, confidential.

"From 1 August, Iain Valentine will be working in a changed role in which he will focus on animal conservation and research. It is in no-one's interest that we dwell on the past. Rather it is crucial that we put this behind us and move on." Mr Roberts today refused to discuss the details of the investigation any further, and would not comment on whether the new role was a demotion.

However, he did say Mr Valentine was "excited" about moving forward and said: "We would like now to draw a line under these past few very difficult months and focus on the future of the zoo."