Herefordshire Council’s top boss earns more than Prime Minister Theresa May according to the latest figures.

The Taxpayers’ Alliance published its annual rich list of town hall bosses revealing that six council officers in the county earnt more than £100,000 a year.

Chief executive Alistair Neill took home £169,000 between 2016 and 2017 while the Prime Minister earned around £150,000 that year.

The council’s economy director Geoff Hughes and adults and wellbeing director Martin Samuels were paid 141,000 and 140,000 respectively.

While the children’s wellbeing director was paid £127,000 and two other officers received £117,500 and £102,000 during the same period.

Tax Payers’ Alliance chief executive John O’Connell said Herefordshire residents were right to be angry about the vast pay packets of the councils highest ranking workers.

He said: “When the council next complains about being cut to the bone, taxpayers should ask themselves whether greater savings can be made from the remuneration of those responsible for spending their money.”

The latest Town Hall Rich List also revealed that the number of council officers earning more than £100,000 has doubled since 2015-2016.

Since then, residents have seen their council tax bill rise year on year.

The latest increase being a 4.9 per cent increase this year which equates to an extra £67.40 a year for a band D property.

The council has defended the salary it pays its top officers, saying it is determined democratically by its councillors and highlighted that the basic salary has increased below inflation.

A Herefordshire Council spokesperson said: “The chief executive’s pay is determined by democratically elected members in an open and transparent way.

“The basic salary for this post has increased below the rate of inflation over the last five years and takes into account the pay for similar posts in comparable organisations.”

The council has delivered £70m of savings in the financial years 2010-11 to 2016-17 and needed to save an extra £7m in the last financial year, 2017/18.

Finance directors hope to make an additional £19.2m of savings or additional income in the financial period 2018-19 to 2020/21.