More than 50 council staff in the region are earning more than £100,000 a year in pay, pension contributions and expenses, according to the TaxPayers' Alliance.

https://infogr.am/council_workers_remunerated_by_equivalent_of_150000_a_year_of_more_in_201516

Figures from the group, which publishes a 'Town Hall Rich List' each year, show the top 10 earners at Norfolk and Suffolk councils had remuneration packages of almost £1.9m between them in 2015/16, the last year figures are available for.

That includes salary and pension contributions, as well as any expenses.

Amid budget cuts and tax hikes, the number of top earners - those remunerated by more than £100,000 - fell in Norfolk from 23 to 21, but it rose in Suffolk.

John O'Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: 'There are talented people in the public sector who are trying to deliver more for less, but the sheer scale of these packages raise serious questions about efficiency and priorities.'

https://infogr.am/the_councils_with_the_most_top_earners

The top remunerated council employee in Norfolk was the managing director of the county council, Wendy Thomson.

Her figure of £207,900 included a salary of £180,000 and pension contributions of £27,900.

A spokesman for the council said senior salaries were reviewed every year.

Suffolk County Council had the highest remunerated employees thanks to exit packages.

Anna McCreadie, its former director of adult and community services, had a remuneration of £304,843, which included a redundancy and pension payment of £157,063. Her salary was £117,000.

A spokesman for Suffolk County Council said: 'It is important that the right people with the right skills and experience are retained to deliver the work of the authority.'

The top earner list is dominated by council chief executives with six of the 15 who were remunerated by the equivalent of £150,000 or more all council bosses.

That included Deborah Cadman, chief executive of Suffolk County Council (£195,300), Paul Medd from Fenland District Council (£162,992), Ray Harding of King's Lynn and West Norfolk (£152,708), Laura McGillivray from Norwich City Council (£151,540) and Sandra Dinneen from South Norfolk (£150,084).

Nationally there were at least 2,314 council employees who received total remuneration of more than £100,000. That was 89 more than the previous year.