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PSNI earnings top of the table

A study found 65 PSNI employees received remuneration in excess of £100,000
A study found 65 PSNI employees received remuneration in excess of £100,000 A study found 65 PSNI employees received remuneration in excess of £100,000

THE PSNI has more employees earning more than £150,000 than almost every police force in Britain, a study of public sector pay has found.

A total of 65 staff members received remuneration in excess of £100,000 - including six on more than £150,000 – second only to London's Metropolitan Police.

Retired Deputy Chief Constable Judith Gillespie received the largest amount of remuneration in the PSNI at £196,543.

Former Chief Constable Matt Baggott, who also retired last year, raked in £194,995 worth of remuneration during 2013-14.

His successor George Hamilton and senior officers Drew Harris, Will Kerr and Alistair Finlay, who retired from the PSNI earlier this year, each received more than £150,000.

The details for 2013-14 were uncovered by the TaxPayers' Alliance using Freedom of Information requests and an analysis of police annual statements of accounts.

Overall at least 670 police employees across Northern Ireland and Britain received more than £100,000, with 99 raking in more than £150,000 and 20 over £200,000.

The police force with the most employees receiving remuneration over £100,000 was the Metropolitan Police with 201 including 17 on more than £150,000.

The investigation revealed some police chiefs have received up to £55,000 from the taxpayer to move house.

Stamp duty, curtains, TV aerials and renovation work have also apparently been added to expenses.

Assistant chief constable Carl Langley is said to have received £55,000 to move from Lincolnshire Police to Dyfed Powys in south Wales in 2012.

Humberside chief constable Justine Curran claimed £39,000 for the cost of transferring from Tayside.

She was reportedly allowed to claim for mortgage interest or rent for 26 weeks, surveyors, lawyers, stamp duty, removals, lettings and domestic fittings.

Jonathan Isaby, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, yesterday hit out at the "infuriating" level of public sector spending for senior police officials.

"The men and women working in these services do tough, dangerous jobs for which the public are grateful, but that only makes it even more infuriating when those at the top continue to get taxpayer-funded deals and pay-offs that are completely out of step with reality," he said.

"Necessary savings are being made and this reality must be reflected in the pay packages for the top brass."