A council chief's 28 per cent pay rise has been revealed after a reporter overturned an attempt to keep the increase secret.

News & Star political editor Julian Whittle challenged the council’s refusal to divulge its chief executive's salary and took the matter to an appeal.

When the figures, from Eden District Council, in Cumbria, were finally released they showed that Ian Bruce's annual salary jumped from £63,699 in 2000-1 to £81,592 in the current financial year.

A tribunal, chaired by joint council leader Colin Nineham, heard the appeal and ordered the release of the information.

The News & Star first approached Eden in July as part of a survey of local authority chiefs' pay.

Other councils co-operated with the survey, which showed that chiefs' pay had risen much more quickly than average wages.

News & Star deputy editor Nick Turner said: "The council's attempts to block our Freedom of Information request have turned into something of a PR disaster.

"If they had agreed to be part of our initial survey we would have run just the one story, but their attempts to block our request have turned this into something of a saga.

"Julian did tremendously well to take the matter to appeal and win his case and it should remind other authorities that when it comes to freedom of information we won't take no for an answer."

Coun Nineham, who also chairs the committee that sets senior officers' pay, said afterwards: "I'm in favour of freedom of information but council employees still have rights to be protected."