THERE is one thing you can say about Wirral Council; when it comes to spending money on itself, it never holds back.

There is an endless outcry from the town hall over cuts to its budget.

There is endless pain for vulnerable people and organisations who are seeing their services and support vanish.

Street lights are extinguished, special needs schools are closed and lollipop crossing patrols are axed - all in the name of saving money.

So when the authority wishes to replace its retiring chief executive, you might imagine in the light of all this penny-pinching austerity that they would naturally show enormous restraint when deciding a reasonable pay package for their new public sector supremo.

But you’d be wrong.

We’re told the current salary of £135,000 is "not enough."

One councillor even argues - with opaque logic - that because such huge amounts of cash are being slashed from the budget, the only way to ensure this public services blood-bath is done properly is to ramp up the salary they offer to the chief executive - maybe as much as £170,000 per year.

Here's an idea...why not first advertise the job with the current pay package?

We’ve no doubt the outgoing chief executive was of the calibre required by councillors.

So who’s to say someone of equal ability can’t be found at the same cost to Wirral taxpayers?