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U.K. Lottery Watchdog Quits in Licence Shambles

"Dame Helena had been under fire since Camelot's successful High Court challenge to the commission's decision to negotiate only with Sir Richard Branson's People's Lottery for the next seven-year licence.

"…Her decision to go - hours before the Camelot board was due to demand the dismissal of every lottery commissioner - threw the immediate future of the lottery into doubt and dealt a potentially fatal blow to Sir Richard's hopes of taking over.

"…The Branson team was meanwhile braced for a new legal challenge from Camelot to try to delay the selection process and Sir Richard accused his rivals of trying to bully the commission.

"…[ Dame Helena ] wrote: `The intensification of the media coverage over the last few days, a great deal of which amounts to vilification directed against me personally, has led me to the conclusion that much as I would prefer to see through to a conclusion the perofmance of the public duty which you have entrusted to me, that it would be in the best interest of the Lottery, which is my sole concern, if I were to stand down.'…"

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