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TOP brass at Swindon Council cost taxpayers more than £770,000 last year.

Figures obtained by a pressure group revealed that in the 2006-7 financial year six council employees earned more than £100,000 a year.

And in total they received £776,129.

Topping the list was chief executive Gavin Jones who earned just over £170,000 - a figure which made him one of only 88 people working for local authorities who made more than £150,000.

The council defended its decision to pay staff six figure sums.

"Senior directors at Swindon Council have responsibility for thousands of staff and multi-million pound budgets," said a council spokesman.

"When their salaries are compared to those available in the private sector for similar levels of responsibility, they can be seen to give extremely good value for money.

"We've always committed to be completely transparent about our executive pay structure, which was revised in 2005 and approved by the full council. It is by no means unusual for a local authority of this size."

The TaxPayers' Alliance obtained the figures for Swindon Council as well as for other authorities in the country.

Not all councils responded to the group's request for figures.

Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "Taxpayers have a right to know how much senior town hall officials are being paid because only then can we judge whether they deserve their remuneration."

8:57am Friday 28th March 2008

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