SENIOR councillors in the region could be in line for inflation-busting pay rises of up to 55 per cent.

An independent panel, including Durham University vice-chancellor Sir Kenneth Calman, is recommending the huge increases for Durham County Council's ten-strong cabinet.

It is recommending that the special responsibility allowance paid to deputy leader Don Ross should jump £6,000 - or 55 per cent - to £16,764.

Meanwhile, leader Ken Manton could see his allowance rise by £5,000 - or 23 per cent - to £26,528.

Other cabinet members would get an increase of £5,500 to £10,882, while rises of £5,500 and £4,500 are proposed for the chairman and vice-chairman of the council's scrutiny committee.

On top of this, cabinet members will also receive a basic allowance available to all councillors.

It also recommends this be increased from £7,206 to £7,458, in line with the 3.5 per cent pay award for council workers.

The panel's report, leaked to The Northern Echo, says that "the work undertaken by the leader and deputy leader and by members of the cabinet is substantial and it is difficult to see how these could be any other than full time commitments."

It also says the role of councillor must be seen as being worthwhile to encourage high calibre people into such positions.

The Labour-run council spends more than £500m a year and employs more than 16,000 people.

It levied an increase in its council tax share of almost 9.2 per cent, and has been criticised for providing home computers for councillors, cutting road gritting and proposing to end free bus travel for school pupils.

Independent councillor for Weardale, John Shuttleworth, said: "It is really insensitive given the council tax increase this year and the bigger rise last year, and I'm sure it will annoy a lot of people."

But Councillor Manton said his role was a full time job running the "biggest business in County Durham".

He added that no decision had been taken and further discussions would be held with the panel after May's district council elections.