THURROCK Council spent more than £900,000 suspending staff on full pay over the last five years, shock new figures reveal.

We revealed in July 2008 how it had spent £538,720 suspending staff since 2006.

Since then, the authority spent a further £409,940 on “gardening leave”.

The council suspended 54 staff between 2007 and 2010, paying out £588,606.

Of those suspended, 23 were on full pay for more than six months, and 15 for more than a year.

At the time this money was spent the authority was under Conservative control.

Labour leader of the council, John Kent, fears this is “just the tip of the iceberg” and described the figures as “outrageous”.

He added: “This only tells half the story. When people are suspended you have to pay someone else to do their job.

“When we took over some of the consultants were being paid around £800 a day.

“In some cases you also have to pay someone externally to carry out an inquiry.”

Councillor Kent claimed the suspension situation had “stabilised” since his group took control of the council last year.

He revealed that in 2010/2011 17 people have been suspended, with none of them for more than a year.

Conservative deputy leader Amanda Arnold defended her party’s record while in power.

She said: “Every council has a process for suspension, and there are times when an individual’s circumstances elongate that process and the system grants them that right.

“What I would say is that in the cases I was aware of, suspension was justified.

“In some cases a staff member may be exonerated, in others they may be dismissed, but it is absolutely right that investigations take place and that extends across all services.”

Southend’s bill was less than half of Thurrock’s, spending £211,622 between 2007 and 2010. It suspended 23 members of staff.

Between April 2009 and June 2010, Essex County Council paid out £167,630 to 17 suspended staff.

Basildon Council only provided figures for 2009/10, £32,412 paid to nine people.