THE £155,000-a-year pay packet for Worcestershire County Council's chief executive is "out of control" and not in line with the real world, it has been claimed. 

Beacon Councillor Peter McDonald, Labour group leader, is asking the in-house overview and scrutiny performance board (OSPB) to examine the role with a view to cutting the pay or disbanding it altogether.

The call has been made in the wake of existing chief executive Clare Marchant's looming departure as she prepares to take over at university admissions service UCAS in June. 

Cllr McDonald said: "Quite clearly council bosses should not be paid more than the Prime Minister.

"While county services are shrinking, the chief executive's pay packet is ballooning and getting out of control - front-line services have been cut including libraries and care.

"The resignation of the chief executive now gives us the opportunity to reign in the salary to that of the real world.

"I'm asking the council to refer the post to the overview and scrutiny performance board for a full review including terms and conditions of service, pay, remuneration and whether we need a chief executive at all."

In recent months Labour has pushed for the job to be deleted altogether, saying the roles and responsibilities should be divided up between other senior directors.

The stance has attracted fresh criticism from the ruling Conservative group, which insists services would be put at risk.

Councillor Andy Roberts, the previous cabinet member responsible for the workforce, said: "My point of view is that the county council is an organisation responsible for spending £1 million a day of public money.

"For that to be managed by a 'management committee', rather than an overall chief executive would be unsafe.

"We'd also lack the opportunity to hold someone to account when things go wrong or congratulate them when things go right."

Once a pension, National Insurance and expenses were taken into account, Ms Marchant's overall cost to the council was £195,476 in the last financial year.

But bosses at County Hall have always maintained that the council is "a low payer" compared to similar sized organisations.

Nationally more than 600 councils now pay their chief executives or managing directors more than £200,000 a year, significantly more than the £155,000 salary at County Hall.