London zoo boss quits after claims of poor behaviour

A former high-flying diplomat who is a close friend of George Osborne has quit as head of London zoo after the launch of an investigation into his allegedly “unacceptable workplace behaviour”.

- Daniel Boffey Chief reporter

Matthew Gould, who previously worked in Downing Street and as ambassador to Israel, resigned as chief executive of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) last week.

In a letter to staff, its chair of trustees, Jim Smith, wrote that an ““nvestigation into claims of unacceptable workplace behaviour found that Matthew Gould’s conduct fell below the standard we expect. He resigned before this investigation had concluded.

“We are committed to living up to our values at every level of the organisation and ensuring a safe, respectful and inclusive workplace for everyone”

Smith said the executive director of ZSL, which runs Whipsnade zoo in Bedfordshire and London zoo, had stepped in as interim chief executive and was “focused on leading an organisation with honesty, integrity and accountability at its heart”.

No further details were provided. On Gould’s LinkedIn account, he had written: “Plotting my next move.”