Charity investigation completed

The Royal London Society for the Blind moved to a Kent base in 1954

An investigation into the running of a charity for blind people, where some staff complained of bullying, has been completed.

The Charity Commission announced it would be investigating the Kent-based Royal London Society for the Blind after complaints from staff in 2002.

There were a number of resignations from workers at the headquarters in Seal near Sevenoaks.

The commission has said it will publish its findings in July.

'Climate of fear'

The charity was established in 1838 and provides specialist education for visually-impaired children and young adults and also helps blind adults find work.

It has been based in Kent since 1954, when it moved to Dorton House in Seal, which is also home to some of the children who are educated by the charity.

In November 2002, former workers told the BBC there was a "climate of fear" at the centre and the teaching was being affected because staff were tired and stressed.

They called for an independent inquiry into the running of the charity.

A spokesman for the RLSB said the complaints had been made by a handful of disaffected staff.

Management at the charity said in 2002 that formal complaints of bullying against chief executive Brian Cooney had been thrown out due to a lack of evidence.