The safety of members of the public making their way around the zoo remains in question as both public wooden walkways and animal escapes have been causes for concern.

The report by inspectors back in November at the zoo revealed that while they were largely satisfied with the public safety of the attraction, there were some causes for worry.

One of the hazards uncovered in the report was a hay bale in the new Africa House enclosure, this was deemed 'insecure' and had resulted in the past escape of animals.

According to the incident book at the zoo, nine bite injuries were recorded last year.

Previous concerns have also been raised over the last few years regarding the integrity of the public wooden walkways used to allow visitors to get around the zoo.

Concerns about the walkways, it was heard in a previous meeting, had been raised in 2009, 2013 and 2014.

At a meeting of Barrow Borough Council's Licencing Regulatory Committee last month, a direction order had been placed upon the zoo to close their public walkways due to concerns that they could be unsafe.

This would have required wooden walkways at the zoo to be closed to the public, with the direction order subject to a 28-day appeal from the decision.

The report says that a full-time director should be employed at the zoo that should be fully responsible for the conduct at the zoo.

It said: "The new management structure must include a competent, suitably qualified and experienced full-time director.

"This individual will have day to day responsibility for the running of the zoo.

"This will be a full-time post and therefore cannot be someone who will spend large parts of the year absent from the site."

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