Does Malvern Town Council live in the real world?

Can any council employee ask for, and receive, large payoffs for early retirement?

When the news broke some time ago of the former town clerk's early retirement package and how he then gained employment in another part of the country, I had to shake my head in disbelief.

In my industry, IT, I've been made redundant twice, I've commuted by car every day from Manchester to Birmingham for 10 months, relocated my family to Malvern, and have for the last three years used a pretty dire rail service to get to work.

If I went to my senior management and asked for early retirement and a pay off of £186,000 I'd be laughed out of a job.

For the council to pay him £11,338 in lieu of notice and then to promptly employ him again as a consultant at a cost of £9,650 plus £523 expenses is unbelievable!

Am I the only one with the attitude that if he didn't like the job of town clerk then, like any other employee in the "real" world, get another and leave! Your colleagues may or may not have a collection for you but you certainly don't get £186,000!

This payout should be stopped immediately.

Haydn Edwards, Court Road, Malvern.