'Scare' claim over council pay statistics

Councils were accused of "scaremongering" yesterday after it emerged some local authorities said publishing the pay and perks of top earners could put their families at risk.
By The Newsroom
Published 19th Feb 2010, 09:35 BST
Updated 19th Feb 2010, 09:35 BST

From the end of March, councils will have to name employees earning more than 150,000 and list the salary and bonuses of the top 2,500 senior posts by job title, as well as setting out how many workers earn more than 50,000.

During a consultation on the plans, several bodies expressed concerns that the increased transparency could lead to top earners being subjected to personal attacks – with Wandsworth Borough Council saying children could face a risk of bullying.

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The Association of Council Secretaries and Solicitors said officers in top posts could be personally targeted by "less stable persons in the community."

The Taxpayers' Alliance group said the claim children could be threatened was "pretty low" and should have been dismissed as scaremongering.