DUDLEY Zoo bosses met this week to consider the next steps following the retirement of chief executive Peter Suddock in the wake of an investigation into his conduct.

The tourist attraction has confirmed there will be no further investigation of Peter Suddock's "conduct of certain affairs of the zoo" and the venue continues to be run by its management team, led by senior curator Derek Grove, pending decisions on the future.

Board member Derrick Hemingsley said after the latest board meeting on Wednesday that no decisions had been made on how the zoo would proceed in the wake of Mr Suddock's departure.

He added: "We'll be meeting again in six weeks time and we'll take it from there."

The zoo revealed last month that 68-year-old Mr Suddock, chief executive since 1993, had been suspended on full pay pending an internal investigation.

The circumstances surrounding his suspension have not been made public but the zoo stressed it did "not constitute disciplinary action".

It has since emerged that Mr Suddock's wife, Jill Hitchman, who was head of media and communications at the zoo, has also left to concentrate on her other freelance work.

Jill, who runs communications company Abstract Media, said this week: "After 19 years' freelance involvement with the site, helping to transform the zoo's image and building up a media department and, most recently, completing signage as part of a major across-site investment programme, the time was right to explore further opportunities.

"I am continuing to work with other, long standing clients, as I have done for the past 22 years."

Mr Suddock said he “was immensely proud to have helped create a flourishing tourist attraction with a bright future” and Labour’s Ian Austin, who is currently defending the Dudley North seat in the parliamentary elections, said he would be "a hard act to follow".

Mr Austin added: "He has made a big difference to the zoo and getting the Heritage Lottery grant was brilliant.”