More than 120 staff at Sutton council earned more than £50,000 last year.

The 122 staff on more than £50,000 per year cost Sutton people a total of £8,570,000 - an average of £70,245 each - in the 2011/12 tax year, although that was down by £540,000 compared to the previous year.

The Taxpayers' Alliance (TA) is questioning whether all the high salaries are neccesary - and is calling on Sutton Council to do more to save money.

But the council has argued it has shed a number of well-paid staff, saving the tax payer a significant sum.

Matthew Sinclair, chief executive of the TA, a lobby group that holds public organsiations to account over their costs, said: "Taxpayers are still paying far too much for bloated bureaucracies that have been established in too many town halls over the last decade.

"Councillors need to insist that their local authority does more to find savings and cut back on staff costs that residents cannot afford."

The data was sourced through councils' annual accounts.

Coun Colin Hall, deputy leader of Sutton Council, said: "We have cut costs by £28million in the past three years and a significant proportion of that was through reduced staffing.

"The council continues to face budgetary constraints and will be looking at its future staffing needs in light of that."

Neighbouring council Croydon has 202 staff on more than £50,000 but shed 53 jobs between 2010-11 and the following financial year to save more than £2.5m.