THERE ARE more managers raking in �50,000-plus a year on Barking and Dagenham Council than ever before. With the credit crunch biting Britain, and the economic downturn costing thousands of workers their jobs, civil servants seem to be largely unaffected

THERE ARE more managers raking in �50,000-plus a year on Barking and Dagenham Council than ever before.

With the credit crunch biting Britain, and the economic downturn costing thousands of workers their jobs, civil servants seem to be largely unaffected.

In 2006 there were only 12 people receiving a �50,000 plus pay package on the council, now there are 138 - a 1,100 per cent rise in staff.

Since last year the number of middle managers on the council has increased from 183 to 223.

And in the space of 10 years, from 1996-2006, that number has risen from 13 to 183 - a massive 1,300 per cent rise.

During the same period, the London average increase was 1,100 per cent.

In nearby boroughs, Newham and Redbridge, the number of workers earning more than �50,000 p.a. has also rocketed.

Since 2007, Newham has gone from 167 middle managers to 271; and Redbridge from 203 to 238.

In 12 years, Barking and Dagenham has gone from spending �750,000 on wages for middle management staff to �14.5million - a 24 per cent increase.

Redbridge Council's wages for middle managers has increased by 17 per cent in the same time scale.

But in Newham and Havering pay for those staff has shot up by 55 per cent and 65 per cent respectively.

Matthew Elliott, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "Councils are ignoring economic reality and simply recruiting more managers and handing out more pay rises.

"Council tax bills are cripplingly high, and town halls must change their ways to bring the bill down."

A council spokesman said: "We set our pay policy at the market rate, not above, and this ensures that all staff's pay is set by the same policy.

"We need the best possible people to deliver the best possible services to our community, and this means our salaries need to be competitive.

"We are committed to delivering first class services to the residents of Barking and Dagenham.

"The council will reduce staff costs by around �2m for 2009/10 - helping us to keep council tax rates low to help people through the recession.