The chief executive of Dover District Council earns more than five times the average UK salary.

And Nadeem Aziz was given the country's 10th highest sum in benefits and expenses.

Also four members of the council's management team got more than £100,000.

These are the startling figures from the TaxPayers' Alliance's 12th Town Hall Rich List covering the financial year 2017/18.

The group says that the overall national trend is these high payments usually happening when council tax has gone up and services have not improved.

The average total rise for a taxpayer in Dover district was 5.5% for this financial year.

John O'Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance said: "Hard pressed families in Dover will be disappointed that so many employees at their local council are earning more than £100,000.

"The average council tax bill has gone up by more than £900 over the last twenty years and spending has gone through the roof.

"Disappointingly, many local authorities are now responding to financial reality through further tax rises and reducing services rather than scaling back top pay.

"Despite many in the public sector facing a much-needed pay freeze to help bring the public finances under control, many town hall bosses are continuing to pocket huge remuneration packages, with staggering pay-outs for those leaving their jobs."

Mr Aziz got the 10th highest sum for benefits and expenses for a council official in the UK - £13,000.

The very highest in the UK was for the acting chief executive at Caerphilly in Wales, £132,309.

Mr Aziz's packages added up to £153,000.

The rest of the sum made up for Mr Aziz included £120,000 basic salary and a £20,000 pension.

DDC's director of governance had a total pay of £150,000 made up of an £85,000 salary, £10,000 expenses, and £55,000 pension.

The TPA listed the director of environment and corporate assets as making a total £110,000. That's £85,000 salary, £12,000 expenses and a £13,000 pension.

The director covering finance and housing got £108,000, from an £85,000 salary, £10,000 expenses and a £13,000 pension.

Finally an undisclosed official earned £112,500 made up only of basic salary.

The cost for 2017/18 for these people adds up to £633,500.

The council tax in the Dover district has gone up by a total 5.5% for an average Band D property for 2019/20. The rate of inflation for January this year was just 1.8%

DDC itself gets 10.3% of the total £1,822.82 for a Band D for this financial year.

Most goes to Kent County Council and the rest is for parish and town councils, Kent Fire and Rescue Service and the Kent Police and Crime Commissioner.

There had been a 3.7% total increase in total average bills from 2016/17 to 2017/18.

The highest paid council official in the UK was the interim chief executive of Slough, getting £595,077.

The largest sum in Kent for 2017/18 was for the chief executive of Shepway District Council Alistair Stewart.

He got £333,951 but that included a redundancy payoff of £179,196.

The authority is now Folkestone and Hythe District Council.

The list also shows that neighbouring Canterbury City Council in 2017/18 had seven people paid £100,000 to £152,000, adding up to £828,000.

Thanet District Council had six people earning a total £756,304, from £159,737 for the chief executive to £108,873.

The TPA adds that in 2017/18 there were at least 2,454 council employees nationwide who received total renumeration of more than £100,000.

This is 148 more people than in 2016/17.

Nationwide a total 680 council staff earned more than £150,000.

A spokesman for Dover District Council said: “DDC’s pay policy is in line with local government pay levels, and is designed to attract and retain staff.

" Senior salaries are agreed by full council and are closely evaluated to ensure they meet market conditions.

"Full details of the Council’s pay policy and the remuneration of senior officers are publicly available on our website.”

The council's statistics for four of its five highest paid people match the TPA sums if you deduct pensions.

But it lists the highest paid member of the group on a payment band of £130,000 to £134,999.

The DDC figures for 2017/18 also show that a total 35 employees were paid £50,000 or more, 22 of them between £50,000 and £64,999.