Member of zoo board is sacked

The Chairman of the board of London Zoo was replaced last night and another board member sacked, after last month's abortive attempt to dismiss the zoo's director, Dr Jo Gipps, writes Nicholas Schoon.

The new chairman is Dr Michael Brambell, director of Chester Zoo. He replaces Peter Wrangham, treasurer of the Zoological Society of London, which owns the zoo. Mr Wrangham and five other board members attempted to sack Dr Gipps last month, but were over-ruled by the society's ruling council, after which Mr Wrangham resigned as chairman.

At yesterday's meeting of the council, John Edwards, a London solicitor and a leading opponent of Dr Gipps, was ejected from the board. But another opponent, Martin Rowson, a cartoonist for the Independent on Sunday, kept his place on the board.