Wirral Council’s chief officers have featured prominently in the 2012 Town Hall Rich List.

The list reveals ten directors on Wirral’s payroll have salaries above £125,000.

Figures published by campaign group the Tax Payers' Alliance have been refuted by the council as they appear to show the former chief executive's total remuneration increased by a massive 49% from £159,000 in 2009/10 to an eye-watering £237,000 in 2011.

And they imply the retired Director of Adult Social Services was given an astronomical 80% rise rocketing his remuneration from £126,000 to £228,000 in the same period.

But a statement from the council said the alliance has got its facts wrong.

The statement says: “Both officers were over the age of 55 when they ceased their employment and as such were entitled to access their pension.

“The sums referred to are the cost to the council of releasing the officers’ pensions early.

"Neither employee received any form of additional years by way of pension entitlement and absolutely did not receive any form of ‘golden handshake’.

“In cases of early retirement, the former employee no longer contributes to their pension each month and instead receives their pension.

“This cost is borne by Merseyside Pension Fund and recharged to Wirral Council, which pays out what the individuals would have contributed if they hadn’t ceased their employment early.

"This is the same for everyone who is in the pension scheme and leaves their employment through an early release scheme.

"The costs payable to the pension fund were £157,537 in respect of the former chief executive and £152,339 in respect of the former director of Adult Social Services. These costs are paid over five years.

“Neither of these officers took voluntary severance and as such did not receive a redundancy payment or any other form of payment from the council. The only payments they will have received are what they were entitled to from Merseyside Pension Fund as a result of contributions made during their employment.”

Matthew Elliott of the TaxPayers’ Alliance said: "People will be astonished that so many council employees are still getting such a generous deal while everyone else in the public sector is facing a pay freeze.

"While councils insist cuts can only mean pressure on frontline services, some clearly have cash in the bank when it comes to paying their own senior staff."

The spiralling town hall salaries were recorded in the financial year which began with the formation of the Coalition Government after the 2010 general election.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has since called for council managers on more than £150,000 to take pay cuts.

Yesterday he said councils are now paying lower salaries to newly-appointed senior officials.

He added: "I welcome this report. It proves there is significant scope to save taxpayers’ money by tackling the culture of dodgy pay deals and boomerang bosses that was the norm under Labour."

Across the country, the number of council chiefs earning more than £100,000 a year has now topped 3,000. And hundreds more town hall staff have been put on six-figure salaries in the past year.

The disputed figures for Wirral published by the alliance show:

Chief Executive (retired): £159,188

Director of technical services: 0.66% rise from £134,383 to £135,265

Director of finance: 0.05% from £134,465 to £134,532

Director of Adult Social Services (retired): £126,966

Director of law, HR and asset management: 3.17% rise from £122,486 to £126,370

Deputy chief executive and director of corporate services: £144,093 (2009-10)

Interim chief executive: £145,766 (2010-11)

Interim director of Adult Social Services: £134,133 (2010-11)

Director of regeneration: £134,534 (2009-10)

Director of children’s services: £134,213 (2009-10)