THE Taxpayer's Alliance has recently published its 'Town Hall Rich List' of council employees earning more than £100,000.

I was disappointed but not surprised to see that the Forest and Gloucestershire council employees have their noses in the trough along with the rest of them.

Three names caught my attention – Peter Hibberd and Sue Pangbourne from the Forest with £109,000+ and £107,000+ respectively, and Peter Bungard (chief executive of Gloucestershire County Council) on £195,500+.

David Cameron only gets £142,500 to run the whole country and cabinet ministers get £134,565.

I understand the district council thinks their two are good value for money as they have absorbed the work of the former chief executive.

I think they are looking through the wrong end of the telescope.

To me this does not say what good value we now get but what extremely poor value we got previously in paying six figures for what was obviously only a part-time job.

These salaries are about four times the average wage of someone doing a proper job.

The council also says the figures are inflated as they include pension payments – these will be the gold-plated pensions which are only a dream to anyone in the private sector.

Just who do these people think they are and who says they are worth so much more than everyone else?

The increases to the Forest pair were 5.46 per cent and 4.83 per cent respectively.

How many in ordinary jobs got half of this?

Our councils are cutting expenditure in many sensitive areas to make ends meet. Their own salaries should be the first point of call.

Bernard Baker

Lydney