TWENTY five executives working for Lancashire County Council and Blackburn with Darwen Councils received a total of more than £100,000 in pay and pensions contributions in 2012/2013, a new analysis reveals.

They included two of the UK’s biggest bills, according to figures released by the Taxpayers Ailliance (TPA) today.

Blackburn with Darwen defended the salaries of its top staff.

Included in the figures were payments for its former director of children’s services and education Gladys Rhodes-White, who left in November 2012, and former One Connect boss David McElhinney, who was paid by the county council.

Mrs Rhodes-White’s payment of £375,000 included an exceptional pension contribution of £263,000 to plug a hole in her superannuation package.

Mr McElhinney received £286,531 from Lancashire County Council, down from £324,567 in 2011/2012.

He has now left its employ and his payments are subject to a county hall and police investigation following the termination of the borough and county councils’ joint venture.

Both payments are dwarfed by top earner David Crawford, social care boss at Glasgow City Council, who took home £486,000.

The Alliance’s ‘Town Hall Rich List 2014’ found nationwide 2,181 council employees received more than £100,000 in 2012/2013 compared to 2,295 the previous year.

Lancashire County Council, which delivers services to 12 boroughs, had 13 executives on £100,000 plus .

Blackburn with Darwen had 12, including paying the head of the Regenerate Pennine Lancashire consortium Steve Tingle.

Its public health director Dominic Harrison was transferred at his NHS salary of £110,000 a year.

Burnley, Hyndburn, Ribble Valley, Rossendale and Pendle paid only their chief executives above £100,000.

TPA chief executive Jonathan Isaby said: "Sadly, too many local authorities are still increasing the number of highly paid staff on their payroll.”

A Blackburn with Darwen spokesman said: “Over the last four years, we have reduced the number of senior managers significantly and in a recent restructure we cut two more directors’ posts.”