Almost £500,000 of taxpayers’ cash has been handed to ex-Leicestershire County Council staff to keep them from claiming against the authority in the last three years.

52 compromise agreements have been reached over the last three years totalling £465,144.44.

The highest payment was for £48,589.87.

It was made to a former county council employee in the 2015/16 financial year.

More recently, nine agreements were reached in the 2017/18 financial year, the highest settlement was for £30,000.

Leicestershire Live asked the council what the nature of the agreement was but the authority said it could not release further details about individual payments.

Compromise agreements can have confidentiality orders attached and are usually struck up when an employee facing redundancy or workplace issues leaves.

Under the deals, also known as “settlement agreements”, an employer asks the employee to sign on the line in return for a pay-off.

The figures were released after a freedom of information request by Leicestershire Live.

Four payments of more than £20,000 have been made in the past three years, while there were 14 payments made between £10,000 and £20,000.

The lowest pay out was for £119.13.

Leicestershire Live has also asked Leicester City Council for details of payments made by the authority.

The figures have not yet been provided.

What was paid out and when?

In 2015/16 there were 31 compromise payments made, totalling £277,955.41.

In 2016/17 there were 12 compromise payments made, totalling £113,626.65.

In 2017/18 there were nine compromise payments made, totalling £73,562.38.

What did the council say?

A Leicestershire County Council spokesperson said that the agreements are not specific to councils and are normal practice in the private sector also.

He added: “Like all councils and other employers, we use settlement agreements in specific circumstances, for example when the parties involved agree to settle a potential employment tribunal claim.

“We take this route rarely and only after very careful consideration when it’s in the best interests of the council to do so.”