IT was with utter disgust that I read of the pay increases and perks handed out to council bosses (Echo, April 11) at a time of austerity when other staff jobs are being cut and the likes of teaching assistants are seeing their pay cut by as much as 25 per cent.

Have the leaders of councils no shame? I hope the likes of Ada Burns (Darlington Borough Council) and Terry Collins (Durham County Council) can sleep at night on pay levels that are out of all proportion for the work undertaken.

It's a good job this lot of jobsworths are not in the private sector, each would soon find out what a day’s work was worth – not the £186,850 plus perks that Mr Collins is on or the £178,603 Ada Burns pulls.

The local authorities treat the ratepayers’ money as a private cash cow for top bosses while crying out for more money as vital services are cut.

What we have is a perks culture from the very ones who are happy to cry out on a daily bases that the councils have no money.

Well, we all have the answer next month.

Vote to get rid of the Labour controlled councils in the NorthEast.

John Merry, Darlington