Council chiefs from East Anglia were among the top 10 council employees with the highest remuneration packages across the UK in 2010-11, according to the latest figures.

Andrea Hill, who was chief executive of Suffolk at that time, was paid �267,775, including pension, in the financial year which ended in March 2011. Her successor, Deborah Cadman, was appointed in December at a salary of �155,000 a year.

David White, chief executive of Norfolk, earned �256,900, which was down 2.58pc on the previous year.

Derrick Murphy, leader of Norfolk County Council, said: 'Over the past 12 months we have reduced our overhead costs significantly – cutting the number of senior managers, ending performance-related pay for senior staff, and shrinking the size of the council with the loss of almost 1,500 full-time posts, including senior management posts, while at the same time freezing our share of the council tax for the second year running.

'We will continue to drive down our own costs to help protect services in a very tough financial climate, but to achieve this we need good people. Our authority is one of the biggest in the country, providing public services to 860,000 Norfolk people and we have a very positive track record of transforming services while efficiently managing a combined budget in excess of �1.5bn.'

Meanwhile, the figures also suggested Norwich City Council chief executive officer Laura McGillivray earned �158,360, up 1.11pc on the previous year.

But a city council spokesman said: 'The council's chief executive has not received a pay rise in the last four years, with the last pay increase for this post being in 2008. Furthermore, there are no additional bonuses or benefits attached to this role.

'In comparative terms, the pay of the city council's most senior officer is significantly less than a substantial number of other chief executives around the UK.'

Suffolk deputy leader Jane Storey said: 'Over the last year we have seen the salary paid to the chief executive come down significantly and on top of that a number of senior staff have left the organisation and have not been replaced.'

The figures were revealed by the national pressure group, the Taxpayers' Alliance.