LONDON - The head of the climate-change body at the centre of a leaked e-mail controversy has stepped down from his post while he is investigated over allegations of professional misconduct.

Phil Jones announced yesterday that he would step aside as director of the climatic research unit (CRU) at the University of East Anglia in Norwich which is accused of suppressing data after its e-mails were hacked and posted online by climate-change sceptics.

"What is most important is that CRU continues its world-leading research with as little interruption and diversion as possible," Professor Jones said. The university did not confirm if he would automatically return to his post whatever the outcome of the inquiry.

The controversy arose with the appearance online of e-mails between scientists at the CRU, which included a conversation that appeared to be about how to keep certain papers out of journals. Climate-change sceptics say that this amounts to suppression of any data detrimental to the researchers' argument.

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