Fifteen senior employees at Devon County Council are receiving more than £100,000 a year in total remuneration, according to figures from the Taxpayers’ Alliance.

It has published its latest ‘Town Hall Rich List’ showing how much local authority employees were paid during the 2022-23 financial year.

Its data shows that the highest-paid employee at Devon County  Council received a total of £147,500 in that year; the employee’s name and job title are undisclosed.

Among the other high earners at Devon County Council were the Director of Public Health, Communities and Prosperity, who received £143,694 including pension contributions, and the Director of Finance and Public Value who received £138,230, again including pension contributions.

East Devon District Council did not provide details of its accounts.

The Taxpayer’s Alliance said the number of local authority employees across the UK who were receiving over £100,000 in total remuneration has risen to the highest level since 2013.

The charge for Devon County Council’s services has increased by 4.99 per cent this year compared with 2023-24.

A spokesperson for Devon County Council said: "The salaries of our senior staff members are published annually on our website and are in line with other public sector organisations."

Meanwhile, one of Exeter City Council’s former senior executives was among the UK’s 20 highest paid local authority employees in 2022-23. The council’s Chief Executive and Growth Director, Karime Hassan, received a total remuneration of £369,680. He retired in March 2023 after almost 10 years in the job.

The Taxpayers' Alliance campaigns for tax cuts and criticises what it sees as  'wasteful' government spending;  it has been described as a right-wing think tank.