THE head of Bristol City Council is the second highest paid chief executive in the region, on more than £220,000 a year.

Figures published by public services union the GMB show Jan Ormondroyd, pictured, earns £220,457, including pensions contributions.

That puts her just behind Kevin Laverty of Cornwall County Council, who earned £238,800 in 2009/10.

John Everitt of Bath & North East Somerset Council came third on the list of 15 in the region, with £211,626.

South Gloucestershire Council's Amanda Deeks was eighth with £186,590 and North Somerset Council's Graham Turner was tenth with £170,450. GMB examined the most recent published accounts for 2009/10 for 151 county councils, unitary authorities, London and metropolitan boroughs in England. The study shows that two chief executives earned over £300,000; 14 earned between £250,000 and £300,000; 62 earned between £200,000 and £250,000; 51 earned between £150,000 and £200,000 and 19 had earnings below £150,000.

Salaries like Mrs Ormondroyd's have been condemned by the union as wasteful when major public sector cuts are being made.

GMB regional secretary Richard Ascough said: "Council workers will be sickened to learn how much their bosses are creaming off and the levels of their bosses' pay.

"This is at a time when councils say they are hard up and are slashing jobs and services while telling staff to put up with a pay freeze."

City council spokesman James Easey said: "Like all major organisations we do have to pay competitive salaries to attract and retain the best quality staff to deliver key services across the city.

"This reflects the fact that the chief exec heads up an organisation that employs 16,500, with a turnover of over £1billion. The pay for our chief executive mirrors, or in some cases is less than, other large city local authority counterparts."