by political editor Paul Francis

The number of staff earning more than £100,000 has nearly doubled in a year, according to a Taxpayers' Alliance survey.

The same survey also reveals chief executive Peter Gilroy takes home £255,000 a year, making him the third highest paid council boss in the country.

But in terms of pay alone, Mr Gilroy is the top paid council chief in the country - as the packages for the two other chief executives above him included sums they received for severance deals.

As far as the number of employees earning above £100,000 is concerned, there are 30 in KCC, compared to 16 when the previous survey was conducted.

The news comes at a sensitive time for the council, as it continues to try to recover the £50million it has tied up in three Icelandic banks and after it was described by the Audit Commission as negligent over its investments - a charge has denied.

The Taxpayers' Alliance has again criticised what it says is the culture of public sector fat cat style pay.

"The size of council executives' pay and perks is staggering and every year the cost continues to rise," Maria Fort, policy analyst at the Taxpayers' Alliance, said. "We're in a recession and many of these rewards are financially unsustainable and morally indefensible."

John Ransford, chief executive of the , defended the salaries.

He said: "These figures represent 0.0005 per cent of the total workforce in local government.

"Councils are responsible for ensuring that more than £100billion of taxpayers' money is spent wisely and provides more than 800 activities local people want and need."

was not available for comment.