£800-a-day fees for temporary council bosses branded 'obscene

Deputy chief executive of Hull Council Ian Stratford has been working for Hull Council since late last year while corporate director of business support Siobahn McHale was appointed in January.

The council has previously come under fire for high rates of pay for senior officers but has argued it is necessary to ensure it can recruit and keep skilled staff who would otherwise move to other authorities or into the private sector. But lead negotiator for Unison in Hull Adrian Kennett said: "We think it is obscene that people are being paid more than the chief executive over a 12-month period.

"Instead of simply paying through the nose for people to come from outside as short-term management we should be growing our own senior management.

"It is our people who are losing out, people who have spent their life and career in local government and should have the opportunity of moving upwards.

"I don't see any reason why we should be paying people more than 100,000." The revelations about the hefty day rates come at a time of growing disquiet over senior council executive pay.

Communities and Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles has said that the "gravy train for council chief executives" should stop immediately and indicated that few council employees should expect to earn more than 100,000 a year in future.

New Government rules will mean councils must publish in their annual reports the names and salary of anyone earning over 150,000, and the number of people earning over 50,000.

Hull Council had been one of the highest payers in the country, with former chief executive Kim Ryley earning 196,298 in salary and allowances. He left last year and his replacement, Nicola Yates, earns 160,000.

Labour Group leader Coun Steve Brady said the authority had struggled to find a replacement for Ms McHale.

"The problem you've got is they won't come on the salaries they are offered or they don't particularly want to settle in the Hull area," he added.

"They seem to be saying they're a special breed and are demanding more exorbitant salaries. We are trying to drive salary levels down to a more realistic level but we are meeting fierce resistance.

"What we are looking for is Eric Pickles to act on his words and start putting caps on authorities. It will stop people going on this gravy train, this merry go round."

Council leader Carl Minns said the issue of council executive pay had to be dealt with by the coalition Government.

He said: "The big issue nationally is senior public sector pay and cross-party we have done a good job lowering senior pay in Hull.

"We have cut chief executive pay but the only way this is going to be resolved is by a national pay cut."

Leeds City Council, East Riding and Kirklees councils all report having at least ten employees on deals worth at least 100,000 including extra allowances, according to the Taxpayers Alliance.

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