THE archivist suspended by City of York Council for "whistle blowing" on plans to relocate historic city records is to be allowed back to work.

But supporters of Rita Freedman say she has gone off work ill due to exhaustion, and will not be returning to her post on Monday.

A union official said her supporters could "breathe a sigh of relief" because it meant the worst she could now expect was a warning rather than the sack.

Mrs Freedman was suspended after she wrote to councillors expressing concern about moves to relocate the city archives to a new library proposed for the University of York.

But David Atkinson, deputy chief executive of the city council, said: "Rita Freedman, the city archivist who was suspended from her post last month, will be allowed to return to work next week.

"Mrs Freedman will be allowed to continue in her post pending further investigations."

The news was welcomed by Peter Household, branch convenor for public service union UNISON, who said: "We are very pleased that wise counsels have prevailed thus far."

But he stressed that though there was no longer any question of Mrs Freedman being dismissed, the union would also resist it if there were any other attempts to discipline her.

"Any disclosure she made was in the public interest, which is covered by the whistle-blowing legislation," he added.

Susan Roome, a volunteer with the archive service for the last ten years, who has withdrawn her work there in support of Mrs Freedman, said the archivist had gone off sick due to exhaustion until next Thursday.