CRAVEN District Council has revealed that it paid compensation of £50,000 to its former finance chief, Joanna Miller, when she left the authority last year.

The information has been made public following a request from the Craven Ratepayers' Action Group (CRAG), which asked for details of Mrs MIller's departure under the Freedom of Information Act.

The council declined that request, but following an appeal the Information Commissioner required the authority to disclose the compensation payments paid to Ms Miller, though not other details about her departure in August.

The information released by the council also says an additional £250 for legal fees was paid to Mrs Miller, whose official titles were corporate head financial management and section 151 officer.

In September last year an extraordinary meeting of the council was held to discuss the circumstances around her leaving the authority, most of which took place in a private session from which the press and public were excluded.