by political editor Paul Francis

Opposition parties have questioned Kent County Council’s explanation of why it paid £365,000 to a director who left after a year in his job.

Liberal Democrats say they are baffled by the county council’s claim that it was forced by law into paying off its former environment and highways director Adam Wilkinson the money when he unexpectedly quit in 2008.

At the time, he said he was doing so for family reasons and was finding it hard to commute from his Yorkshire home.

Cllr Tim Prater, Lib Dem spokesman on finance, said that he was unconvinced by the county council’s claim that it was forced by employment legislation and contractual obligations to offer the money, which he said was "off the scale."

"I find it absolutely extraordinary that if he [Adam Wilkinson] chose to go voluntarily, as it appeared he did, why was there any payment whatsoever? The size of it beggars belief and is an outrageous use of public money," added Cllr Prater.

"Clearly, there is something missing from the story here. You show me the employment legislation that says you have to give someone a payout on this scale."

The only circumstances in which someone who left his job voluntarily was entitled to additional money would be if they left their job and did not work out their notice, he added.

In a statement responsing to the disclosures, Cllr Roger Gough, KCC cabinet member for corporate services said: "Mr Wilkinson’s time at KCC did not work out so it was mutually agreed that he should move on. At a personal level it was also the right thing for Mr Wilkinson."

He added: "The problem we face is that employment laws are onerous and need to be reformed. We will lobby the Government for a change of the law."

Mr Wilkinson said: "Contractually, Kent had a responsibility to make me a payment. What I was entitled to on departure was a proportion of my salary and bonus and that’s what I was paid."

He quit in 2008 after just over a year at the authority because he was returning to West Yorkshire each weekend, where his wife and four daughters lived.