THE director of the Science Museum, who has been embroiled in rows over financial waste, cronyism and the “Disneyfication” of exhibitions, has suddenly resigned from his £150,000-a-year job.

Senior museum sources said this weekend that both Dr Lindsay Sharp, who has directed the institution for five years, and the board of trustees felt his position was no longer tenable.

Sharp’s period in office at the museum in South Kensington, London, has coincided with a decline in its financial situation, public image and staff morale.

Sharp, 57, who is British-born but raised in Australia, angered staff earlier this year with his refusal to offer them more than a 2.5% pay rise. This resulted in a one-day strike.

It was the culmination of a period in which relations had deteriorated badly. Opponents of Sharp had sent the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) letters criticising what they alleged were his poor management practices and expenses.

In particular, they objected to the fact that two of his friends had been appointed to senior posts, including Matthew Pudney, head of communications. The staff complained about Sharp’s living accommodation in the museum and a pottery kiln used by his wife on museum premises.

There has also been criticism that Sharp failed to deal with science seriously in some temporary exhibitions. For example, there have been shows on the Star Trek series and the Lord of the Rings films.

The board of trustees, chaired by Lord Waldegrave, the former Tory minister, has now announced an independent inquiry into the accounts.

Three months ago Waldegrave said that its finances were “facing crisis” and that it was “desperately” seeking ways to save its world-famous library, which owed money to Imperial College, its landlord. He warned that the library, which has 1m books and manuscripts might have to be broken up.

It is thought Sharp was particularly unhappy about the financial inquiry and the appointment of a new executive, described as a “chief of staff”, to work alongside him.

The pressure on Sharp was increased by the DCMS, which has expressed concern about why the Science Museum has been less successful than other museums in raising sponsorship and gifts from donors.

There has been further criticism of Sharp for his recent expansion plans, including taking over an old aircraft hangar in Wroughton, Wiltshire, to turn it into an eco-theme park.

“Its nickname is Planet Lindsay,” said one senior figure from the museum world this weekend. “It’s very much a grand plan, but it comes at a time when other parts of the Science Museum are in real trouble.” The institution also runs the National Railway Museum in York and the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television in Bradford.

The National Museum of Science and Industry, its full name, receives about £50m a year from the DCMS. It does not charge for admission.

The South Kensington museum has more than 30,000 objects ranging from Iron Age artefacts to steam engines. More recently it added high-tech exhibits intended to attract children. But these are expensive to maintain. Several have broken down but the museum cannot afford to repair them.

The financial squeeze has also led to the closure of parts of all three museums.

This is not the first time that Sharp has been criticised by staff. Employees at his last job as director of the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto sent letters accusing him of “lacking respect” for the museum.

Kim Herbenera, a former senior member of staff at the Canadian museum, said: “Lindsay was swept up with razzle-dazzle as if Disney World was his ultimate ambition rather than a respected museum.”

The museum this weekend said nobody was available to comment. Sharp could not be reached.

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