REVEALED: Hampshire's top cop nets £201,000 pay package as council tax bill increases to fund police

Hampshire's Olivia Pinkney, who took up the top job in 2016, received an £18,683 increase from £147,854 in 2016/17 to £166,537 the next year.

For 2017/18 her salary was £166,537 but she received £34,356 in pension contributions and £850 in benefits in kind - taking the total pay deal to £201,743.

She has previously lobbied government for more funding as the force has lost £82m since 2010, and is under-funded by more than £40m.

The top cop previously said: 'National funding for policing does not deliver a fair deal.'

Deputy chief constable Sara Glen was paid £135,437 salary for the same year, with £4,093 in benefits in kind and a £28,369 pension contribution.

It comes as the police precept in council tax is set to increase by £24 a year to bring in more cash.

A letter from home secretary Sajid Javid to MPs said Hampshire will receive £25m - made up of a £3.8m increase from a direct police grant and £18.2m from increased council tax.

Another £3m will be handed to the force to cover a hike in pension contributions.

As reported in The News, police were facing a £4m blackhole next year with worst case scenario plans drawn up to axe 350 posts.

Police and crime commissioner Michael Lane said the new settlement and tax hike means 200 officers can be recruited.

In a statement, his office, which sets the chief constable's pay, said: 'The increase of Ms Pinkney's pay is in line with her contract, which was published and reported upon at the time of her appointment in early 2016.

'PCCs have the ability to set their chief constable's salary at up to 10 per cent above or below the rate determined by the Home Office.

'˜The rate takes into account the size of the force and level of crime demand.

'˜Ms Pinkney's starting salary was set at 10 per cent below the Home Office rate, rising gradually over the term of her contract subject to satisfactory performance.

'Any increase also includes the general increase in pay to offset rising costs of living, which was agreed for all police officers.'

A Hampshire spokeswoman said the Mr Lane's office set the chief constable's pay.

John O'Connell, of the TaxPayers' Alliance, told the Daily Mail that '˜workers in the private sector are paying for their public sector counterparts to enjoy a retirement they can only dream of'.