FOUR STAFF are to be laid off at the South Lakes Wild Animal Park after zoo owner David Gill was fined nearly £30,000 at an employment tribunal last week.

Mr Gill, 39, was ordered to pay the money within 14 days to Lara Kitson after a Carlisle tribunal found him responsible for sexually discriminating against her when she became pregnant.

The 23-year-old zoology graduate claimed she was forced out of her £150 per week job at the park when Mr Gill gave her a verbal warning claiming she had broken her employment contract after she had refused to climb a ladder to feed the tigers.

The lay-offs were announced despite an offer by 16 of the 19 full-time staff members to accept a 25 per cent pay cut to help meet the tribunal costs.

Three zoo-keepers and one shop worker will now not have their contracts renewed in October.

A total of 31 animals will also be removed from the park's collection.

Mr Gill said the tribunal decision was "really the straw that broke the camels back" after the park had lost around £150,000 due to the foot-and-mouth crisis.

But he said the Dalton-in-Furness park was not at risk.

"By cutting these costs we're ensuring that other plans go ahead.

The future is still bright at the park, we will go forward as a very lean, mean machine."

Mr Gill is planning to bring in two large mammals that have never been kept in a British zoo in the spring of 2002 and will be appointing a full-time education manager to expand schools projects.

Ms Kitson was unwilling to comment on the lay-offs but said she was relieved that the tribunal was over.

"I'm trying to put it behind me now.

I'm obviously thrilled that I stood up for my case but at the end of the day it has cost me my career.

I'm not sure where I go next."

David Gill was yesterday (Thursday) pleased to report that this week the park had its busiest four days in its three-year history.