The National Media Museum has announced that Colin Philpott will step down as director in the coming months, as "he has decided he wants the opportunity to pursue long term and creative projects beyond the National Media Museum which include the publication of a book in Autumn next year," reads a statement.

But the lose comes as the National Museum of Science and Industry, of which the Bradford-based National Media Museum is a member, is reorganising all senior level positions. As a result, the National Media Museum will lose it's director-level role.

"A newly created position of head of the National Media Museum will report into the deputy director of the Science Museum," the statement reads.

But, Ian Blatchford, director of NMSI, says that the new head of the museum "will continue to work with the NMSI Executive Board and we are fully committed to the development of the National Media Museum in the years ahead."

The changes come as the National Medium Museum is still looking to open a London-based gallery to be housed in the Science Museum. Responding to one of BJP's freedom of information request, the museum says that the new gallery has a "draft budget" of £4m. As of October 2011, only £405,835.16 had been invested in the project.

The London-based gallery was supposed to open in 2012, but BJP understands that it won't happen until late 2013.