Just how much we pay our top council officers is detailed in the latest Town Hall Rich List from the Taxpayers' Alliance.

Heading the list in Gloucestershire is the county's chief fire officer Stewart Edgar who was paid £147,921, including salary and employer pension contributions.

Three county council directors - for strategic finance; adult commissioning and children and families commissioning services, -were each paid £140,277 including employer pension contributions.

Gloucestershire County Council's chief executive Peter Bungard now works reduced hours and his salary fell to £131,036. He did not receive employer pension contributions.

But Gloucestershire local authorities are well down the list when it comes to top payers, according to the Taxpayers' Alliance. It said Birmingham has three employees who received remuneration in excess of £250,000. Nationally, 500 council bosses earned more than the Prime Minister (£150,000).

In the South West the local authority with the most employees receiving remuneration in excess of £100,000 in 2016-17 was Dorset with 20. The biggest remuneration package in the region was received by Bournmouth's chief executive - £538,000.

The Taxpayers' Alliance said: "Many senior managers at local authorities have performed well in tough financial times. There are many reports of residents seeing no difference in the services they receive despite the necessary savings being made."

But John O'Connell, chief executive of the Taxpayers' Alliance said: "The average council tax bill has gone up by more than £900 over the last 20 years and spending has gone through the roof. Disappointingly many local authorities are now responding to financial reality through further tax rises and reducing services rather than scaling back top pay.

"There are talented people in the public sector who are trying to deliver more for less, but the sheer scale of these packages raise serious questions about efficiency and priorities. The Government must also act to implement the exit payment cap that was passed in 2016."