Education boss Julien Kramer and strategic director for people Linda Sanders were paid a combined total of more than £420,000 over the last year to run their respective departments on an interim basis.

Their salaries eclipse the amount paid to the the authority's top officer, managing director Keith Ireland, who took home £154,000 last year.

It comes as the city's governance chief vowed to reduce the number of extravagant interim contracts.

Mr Kramer, who joined in June 2015, will end his contract two months early to leave his £182,640-a-year post on April 7.

Mrs Sanders, who has picked up £241,542 a year since joining the council in January 2015, is set to leave when her contract expires this summer.

The council currently has 10 senior staff on interim contracts, which usually run for six or 12 months and see staff paid higher rates through agencies.

Governance boss Councillor Milkinder Jaspal, said: "Wolverhampton council is going through a rapid restructure aimed at reducing the number of interim and consultant roles over the next 12 months.

"I do think there is a role for these types of contracts in certain circumstances.

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"However, our priority must always be to provide the best possible service while achieving value for money for the taxpayer.

"I would like to thank the two officers for their efforts and wish them well."

Council bosses say they plan to recruit permanent staff for both roles.

Mr Kramer is credited with overseeing significant improvements in education standards since he took over from Dr Jim McElligott. The city now has more higher rated schools than ever, with 85 per cent rated 'Good' or 'Outstanding' by Ofsted.

He said: "Education standards in our city are on the up, and that is thanks to the hard work and dedication of the headteachers, leadership teams, governors, pupils and parents in our schools, and of colleagues within the education service at the council.

"It now time to recruit a permanent director of education to lead Wolverhampton into its next phase of success."