A COUNCIL already at the centre of controversy for awarding huge secret pay rises to senior managers is now under investigation over further preferential payments to top earners.

Caerphilly council has reported itself to its own auditors over payments made to 40 senior managers in compensation for losing essential car user allowances.

In contrast, staff on lower grades have lost the allowance but not received compensatory payments. Forty senior managers at the authority benefited from a “buy-out” of their essential car user allowances while more junior members of staff simply had the allowance removed. In my opinion, democracy has broken down at Caerphilly council, and it is time commissioners were sent in to run it, as was the case in Anglesey.

Andrew Nutt Heolddu Road Bargoed