Verroken leaves UK Sport after pay-off agreement

Michele Verroken, who has been the public face of Britain's anti-doping efforts for the past decade, yesterday stepped down from UK Sport as director of Drug-Free Sport five months after being forced out following the Government's restructuring of the organisation.

Verroken has been on gardening leave from the Government agency - which has the dual role of administrating drug-testing and funding élite sport - since being asked to resign by the new UK Sport chairman, Sue Campbell, on 5 December.

Along with the chief executive, Richard Callicott, who left last year, Verroken is a casualty of the kind of reform which took place in UK Sport's sister organisation Sport England, when Trevor Brooking was replaced as chairman by a man with closer links to the Cabinet, Patrick Carter.

Yesterday's announcement came after Verroken's lawyers agreed to a substantial pay-off. UK Sport released a statement saying: "Michele has made a significant contribution to the fight for drug-free sport in the UK and she leaves with our thanks and best wishes for the future."

John Scott, UK Sport's director of International Relations and Major Events, will act as director of Drug-Free Sport until a business review of UK Sport is completed.