Fat cat salary claims rejected by Shropshire and Mid Wales police

Pressure group The Taxpayers Alliance has been releasing public sector salaries this week following Freedom of Information requests.

In its report on the police, the figures, which are for the year 2013/14, claim that at West Mercia Police there are seven people earning £100,000-plus, with two of those on more than £150,000. They are named as chief constable David Shaw (£153,662) and deputy chief constable Simon Chesterman (£172,439).

According to the figures, there is also one person in the commissioner's office at West Mercia on £100,000 plus – a claim denied by the office itself.

But West Mercia Police spokeswoman Terri-Anne Powell said: "The figures provided by The TaxPayers' Alliance are two years out of date and refer, in some cases, to people who no longer work for the organisation.

"In order that we are open and transparent, the salaries of our chief officers are published by our Police and Crime Commissioners and are available online.

"West Mercia Police and Warwickshire Police saved money from 2012 when they moved to sharing some of their senior leadership roles as part of their strategic alliance."

In the Dyfed Powys force area, the report claims there are six staff on £100,000 or more, with two of those on £150,000 plus and one – named as the "director of finance and resources" in the report – on more than £200,000.

In the Dyfed-Powys commissioner's office there are two staff members on six-figure salaries, it adds.

But Dyfed Powys Police chief constable Simon Prince, said: "The payments referred to were made in 2012 and 2013 and had to be made in line with terms and conditions set out by the Police Authority. We have made significant changes since that time.

"Since I have been in post as chief constable I have brought in changes to chief officers' terms and conditions resulting in them costing the force considerably less.

"I have stopped other payments that were in place prior to my appointment, bringing chief officer payments in line with national police regulations."

Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner Christopher Salmon added: "Spending wisely is one of my priorities.

"Significant decisions I made shortly after my election mean the top 10 salaries across the police and my office cost 20 per cent less than when I arrived.

"In respect of my office I made the decision to replace the chief executive and assistant chief executive roles with a single post – that of chief of staff. This decision alone reduced the annual salary bill by £84,000.

"My office costs seven per cent less in 2015-16 in real terms than the Police Authority cost in its last full year (2011-12) – and it does more."