SIXTY SEVEN civil servants in Sussex were each paid more than £100,000 last year.

The council officers got more than £8.5 million between them in salary, bonuses and employer pension contributions in financial year 2016/2017.

And several officers received high-five-figure or even six-figure payouts, despite losing their jobs.

The highest paid officer was the chief executive of East Sussex county council, Becky Shaw, who earned £227,132.

West Sussex’s chief executive Nathan Elvery was close behind on a total of £220,166.

Brighton and Hove’s chief executive Geoff Raw received £30,267 in pension contributions in addition to his salary of £162,114.

The city also had four other officers in the six-figure bracket.

In East Sussex, the county council had ten staff on more than £100,000, including the chief executive, and the director of adult social care who earned £187,000 in pay and benefits.

Eastbourne Borough Council had three staff on the list, which was compiled by the Taxpayers’ Alliance. Eastbourne Council’s chief exec was paid £162,275.

Hastings Borough Council had two officers on six figures.

Its directors of corporate resources and of operations both earn a salary between £80,000 and £90,000 but once pension contributions are included, both earned close to £110,000.

In Lewes, two staff were paid more than £100,000.

That includes the outgoing director of service delivery, who left in May 2016 with a £68,000 golden goodbye.

In Rother two officers with £94,000 salaries also got more than £20,000 in pension contributions.

In Wealden the chief executive was paid a total of £158,491.

Two other staff earned £100,000 or more.

In the west of the county, West Sussex County Council paid 15 six-figure staff a total of £2,145,000.

Adur District Council paid four staff six-figure salaries including its chief executive who got £136,000.

In Arun, the deputy chief executive took home a whopping £200,357 which included more than £100,000 “compensation for loss of office”.

In addition the small authority managed to pay a further eight officers £100,000 or more.

At Chichester District Council the chief executive and two other directors made the £100,000 list.

Crawley Borough Council paid its two top officers more than £100,000 each.

In Horsham four civil servants got £475,000 between them.

In Mid Sussex the chief executive earned £144,000 while the outgoing head of leisure got £35,000 salary plus an £81,000 golden goodbye.

The research by the Taxpayers’ Alliance pulls together published salaries of senior officers.

Across the country 2,306 officers were paid six figures in financial year 2016/17.

The council with the most employees paid directly by the council who received remuneration in excess of £100,000 was Wandsworth with 30.

John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “The average council tax bill has gone up by more than £900 over the last 20 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”

A spokesman for Eastbourne and Lewes councils said: “Eastbourne Borough Council and Lewes District Council now share services, meaning there is one chief executive and one senior management team.

“Previously, the total paid for two chief executives was £220,000 per year. This represents a £90,000 annual saving.”

A Brighton and Hove council spokeswoman said: “Brighton and Hove City Council is a large, complex organisation with budget of £756 million and provides more than 700 services for thousands of people living and working in the city.

“It is important that the right people with the right skills and experience are retained to deliver this important work.

“Management costs across the council continue to be kept under review, and have reduced again in the last financial year.

“Senior pay is decided by democratically elected councillors in an open and transparent way and information is available on the council website.”