CONTROVERSIAL plans to give bonuses to council bosses - at a time when some workers are being hit by pay cuts - have been scrapped.

Opposition councillors branded the pay rise policy "crass", as more than 1,000 town hall empoyees were told their wages would go down as part of the national job evaluation scheme.

The plans, to award senior officers - including chief executive Graham Burgess - an extra 10 per cent of performance-related pay on top of their salaries, were rejected at a meeting of Blackburn with Darwen's policy and review committee.

And now council leader, Coun Colin Rigby, has said the policy will be abandoned.

The ruling coalition had voted the plans through in October, claiming the rise was necessary to compete with other councils for top staff.

But Coun Rigby said the plans would be abandoned because of the "current economic climate".

Councillors had rejected an increase in their allowances for the same reason, he added.

He said: "It isn't going to happen. It may well be in line with other councils, but the reality of life is you can't justify it in the current economic climate."

Coun Rigby insisted the decision to abandon the rise, taken in a private meeting last week, was "nothing to do with" pressure from opposition Labour councillors.

But Labour leader, Coun Kate Hollern, said: "We've won one. It's good news, but I think it's awful we've had to shame them into it. It's taken four months."

Meanwhile, council staff have told of their shock after being hit with pay cuts in the run-up to Christmas. In a bid to end unequal pay between staff, councils across the UK have to put in place new salary brackets.

Under the "equal pay settlement", 5,500 Blackburn with Darwen Council jobs have been evaluated - 24per cent of salaries will go down, 46per cent are set to increase, and the remaining 30per cent will stay the same.

One woman contacted the Lancashire Telegraph and said her husband, who works in the community safety unit, was told his salary would be cut by a massive £15,000.

The 46-year-old mother-of-two, who did not want to be named, said: "We are absolutely shocked and stunned.

"This is more than our mortgage and our son's university fees. He has no choice but to leave. It couldn't have come at a worse time." Scores of fed-up employees left messages on the Lancashire Telegraph website after we revealed the cuts on Wednesday.

Labour councillors have called for the settlement to be reconsidered, a move Coun Rigby has branded "playing politics".

He said Coun Hollern welcomed the settlement when it was unveiled, and promised not to "call it in" for more debate.

He added: "If Labour had been in power they would have had to do exactly the same thing."