The head of an important Northern Ireland animal welfare charity has been sacked “on grounds of gross misconduct”.
The Ulster Society for Prevention Cruelty to Animals (USPCA) said the dismissal of its chief executive Stephen Philpott “related to aspects of his management of the charity”, reports the BBC.
As a high-profile figure, Mr Philpott was regularly outspoken on animal cruelty issues but the decision came following an independent review of his management.
He was suspended in March following what the USPCA said was a “comprehensive” review of his leadership.
It added that the review was followed by a “full disciplinary hearing and exhaustive appeal process”.
“An interim manager has been in place for a number of months and will continue to work closely with the board as they look at the management structure of the organisation going forward,” it said in a statement.
Helen Wilson, the charity’s chair, said its day-to-day work continued and staff had “remained exemplary during a very difficult time”.
