A SERIES of extra payments totalling £103,916 to Wirral Council's chief executives since 2010 have been slammed as "obscene" by a Wallasey councillor.

The cash is handed over for the role of returning officer, a position in Wirral held by executives for elections and referenda.

The figures were obtained after councillor Ian Lewis submitted a request under the Freedom of Information Act.

The role of returning officer lasts for around four weeks a year- but the role is now "irrelevant" said Cllr Lewis.

“Returning officers were created in a different era when we had a town clerk, not a very well-paid chief executive, and when few councils, if any, had permanent, professional elections staff," he said.

“Nowadays the work of running elections isn’t done by the chief executive – it’s done by the elections staff.

"So why should a chief executive be able to walk away with this extra cash?

“These payments are frankly nothing less than obscene at a time when the chief executive of Wirral Council already earns an eye-watering £171,700 plus pension and expenses."

Councillor Lewis has written to the Cabinet Office calling for chief executives to cease claiming the payment, and for a change in the law which will end the practice.

He added: “It’s high time Wirral residents had a council that works for everyone and not just the privileged few at the top.”

A council spokesman said: “The role of returning officer is completely distinct from that of chief executive and carries with it a unique range of duties and responsibilities to ensure the legal and effective local management of elections.

"The returning officer accepts personal liability for these responsibilities and any breach of their official duties could result in a criminal conviction.

“The fee paid to returning officers for local elections is set by the council and for national and European elections, police and crime commissioner elections and any referenda, the fee is determined by Cabinet Office – all payments are subject to scrutiny.

"The fees paid to returning officers in Wirral for local elections are broadly in line with those in other local authorities in the region.”