HAMPSHIRE County Council paid 21 employees more than £100,000 last year, including eight earning north of £150,000, new figures have reveal.

The TaxPayers’ Alliance Town Hall Rich List, which ranked the council eighth in the UK, showed that chief executive John Coughlan earned £213,054 in the 2016-17 tax year.

He was joined by director of corporate resources Carolyn Williamson (£170,316) and director of children’s services Steve Crocker (£169,910) in the £150,000 or more club.

The director of adults, health and care took home £167,777 while the director of community, culture and business services earned 162,128. Both were unnamed in the report.

Three additional unknown employees in unknown roles were paid £187,500, £162,500 and £157,500. Eleven anonymous others earned between £102,500 and £127,000.

The total amount for all the council’s employees include pension contributions.

The report also named the county council as the local authority with the most employees who received more than £100,000 in the south east. And the list revealed that the amount of county council employees on £100,000 or more rose by one from the previous tax year – bucking a trend of decline seen by other councils.

John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “The average council tax bill has gone up by more than £900 over the last twenty years and spending has gone through the roof. “Disappointingly, many local authorities are now responding to financial reality through further tax rises and reducing services rather than scaling back top pay.

“Despite many in the public sector facing a much-needed pay freeze to help bring the public finances under control, many town hall bosses are continuing to pocket huge remuneration packages, with staggering pay-outs for those leaving their jobs despite a £95,000 cap passed by the last government.

“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. The government must also act to implement the exit payment cap that was passed in 2016.”