First elected police commissioners may be paid up to £100,000 a year

West Yorkshire’s commissioner would be one of three in the country to earn the top £100,000 salary if Ministers adopt the recommendations of the independent Review Body on Senior Salaries.

The South Yorkshire commissioner would earn £85,000, Humberside’s £75,000 and North Yorkshire’s £70,000.

The panel said they struck a balance between attracting “sufficient competent candidates” and protecting public money, but they were branded too high by an MP.

Performance-related bonuses have been ruled out by the panel and all of the recommended salaries are lower than those currently earned by the chief executive of the relevant police authorities which are being abolished to make way for the commissioners.

If adopted, the recommendations – costing £4m across England – would mean the commissioner earns significantly less than chief constables they have power to hire and fire.

The first commissioners will be elected for a four-year term next November with Ministers hoping they will make the police more accountable, but critics claim they will be bureaucratic and could lead to the police being overly politicised.

Ministers will now decide whether to adopt the findings. A Home Office spokeswoman said: “We are keen to ensure that a suitable and proportionate remuneration is achieved for such a challenging and rewarding role.”

Bradford East MP David Ward, who voted against commissioners, said: “I don’t approve of them in any case so I’m hardly likely to approve of such high salaries being given to the commissioners.”