PLANS to boost top council officers' pay will leave residents footing the £200,000 bill.

Redcar and Cleveland Council cabinet agreed to increase top officers' salaries in a bid to bring them in line with neighbouring authorities, and attract and retain the best staff.

At a confidential scrutiny committee meeting this week, it is understood that councillors approved plans to increase the salary of the chief executive, Colin Moore, by about 25pc.

This will take his pay packet to more than £100,000 a year; front-line council staff will receive a 3pc pay rise.

Although councillors from all parties understand the need to increase wages so the authority can attract good staff, some fear services will suffer and money would be better used elsewhere.

Labour Coun Dave McLuckie, said: "I think the amounts of money being paid to senior council officers is absurd. Someone has to take a stand to stop this blackmail.

"It's a problem throughout the country, but we will reach a point where services will suffer because of this. The chief executive will be on an obscene amount of money, but neighbouring councils pay their chief executives more."

Mr McLuckie said the £200,000 needed to fund the pay rises for the chief executive, directors and other top officers would pay for six community safety wardens and a major school refurbishment.

Coun Vera Moody, Conservative leader, said: "The figure we were quoted was that it would mean the council would pay £200,000 extra to cover the salary increases.

"This was accounted for from a fund left over from when the county became four authorities ten years ago, so it won't affect the tax payer this year. Next year it will go on the budget."

She said Brian Dinsdale, chief executive at Hartlepool Council, went to Middlesbrough for £135,000 earlier this year, but such high figures would not be paid at Redcar and Cleveland.

Coun Moody said that the pay issue had been bandied about for two years. "The previous administration wouldn't deal with this, so we had to bite the bullet."

Former Labour leader Dave Walsh, who lost his seat at the election this month, described Coun Moody's comments as disingenuous and nave.

He pointed out that it was his administration that had asked for the report on salaries which had led to the decision to increase pay, adding that the Tories were present at previous meetings when the issue was discussed.

Liberal Democrat Coun Glyn Nightingale, cabinet member for corporate resources, said: "The coalition is determined to use this opportunity to show its faith and confidence in top officials' ability. To make sure we get value for money, rigorous conditions have been introduced to ensure staff perform effectively."

Stephen Kay, leader of the Independents said: "It's a confidential matter and I don't want to comment on it."

Unison branch secretary John McCormack, who represents council staff, said he was waiting to see the figures before he commented.

Now the pay levels have been agreed by both the cabinet and scrutiny committee, the proposals are expected to go before the full council in June.

Under new legislation, officers' salaries above £50,000 will have to be published in September