LIVERPOOL council's top 30 executives are embroiled in a row over proposed cuts to their bonus packages which could see them lose up to £120,000 a year.

Council chief executive Colin Hilton has proposed reducing the performance- related pay package by a third as part of measures to save £250,000, but it would also include scrapping a senior executive post in the children's services department.

The move follows the recent Liberal Democrat budget which called for a review of senior management pay and conditions as part of cost-saving measures.

Opposition figures said the removal of the post – which could save around £120,000 – was unacceptable, and that the cost-savings should come entirely from cuts to bonus pay.

But documents obtained by the Daily Post show that the chief executive can only implement the bonus cuts if senior officers “voluntarily agree” to them.

Opposition leader Cllr Joe Anderson said removing the post was a dangerous move. He added: “We should not be cutting staff in children’s services where we need not cut them. We need to be given a clear understanding of what the proposals will mean.

“We want to abolish the bonuses that are getting paid to senior officers.

“Given that we are facing serious challenges to the council’s budget, looking at cutbacks in the region of 20%, we don’t believe cutting this post is in the spirit of the belt-tightening we were asked to do.

“This should not be about protecting the bonuses of council officers.”

Senior officers can expect to receive up to 15% of their salary in bonuses.

Mr Hilton himself can receive up to £25,000 a year, on top of his £200,000 pay package.

The document obtained by the Post proposes that “one assistant executive director post is deleted with effect from April 1.