MANCHESTER council's chief executive, Sir Howard Bernstein, is on a 'rich list' of town hall bosses earning more than the prime minister.

New figures reveal Sir Howard was paid £199,056 a year in 2007/08 - compared to the £194,000 received by Gordon Brown. Sir Howard's salary was increased by 6.8 per cent that year.

Wigan's chief executive, Joyce Redfearn, was paid £195,000, Janet Calendar (Tameside) received £165,000, and David McNulty, of Trafford, earned a total of £159,520 from the public purse.

Bolton's Sean Harriss was on £155,000 and Stockport's John Schultz received £149,417 after a 7.8 pc pay rise.

Rochdale's chief executive, Roger Ellis, received £139,776, Bury's Mark Sanders £139,465 - up 10.8pc on the previous financial year - and Barbara Spicer, of Salford, £135,951.

Oldham refused to say how much their chief executive was paid.

The council was one of only three authorities in the north west to receive just two stars in the last ever town hall league tables this year.

The chief executives were not the only local government officers to be paid above the £100,000 threshold.

In Manchester, deputy chief executive Steve Mycio (£128,475) and treasurer Richard Paver (£144,863) were among 10 officers on £100,000 or more.

In Tameside there were 11, in Wigan 10, Bolton six, Rochdale five, Stockport five, Salford four, Trafford four and Bury three.

The details were revealed by the TaxPayers' Alliance after a series of Freedom of Information requests.

A spokeswoman for the TaxPayers' Alliance said the figures showed the `shocking truth' about top public sector wages, at a time when private-sector employees faced the prospect of tough pay deals and job losses, and MPs were benefiting from pay rises and generous expenses.

She said: "Generous remuneration for senior staff is difficult to square with complaints from councils that their resources are stretched.

"It is important that the town hall gravy train is halted and that taxpayers' money is used for public services instead of the personal enrichment of a select few on the council pay roll.

"The fact that executives, who have overseen increases in council tax, cuts in services and major policy failures, are getting ever more generously rewarded is frustrating for taxpayers who are struggling to make ends meet.

"Councils must start tightening their belts because we are in a recession and many council executives are still secretive about their massive pay packets."