The Taxpayers' Alliance (TPA) has published details of how much money Devon and Cornwall's police authority is spending.

They claim the authority is paying an 'exceptional amount of money' to its Chief Executive (more than £100,000) and that with 17 members of staff, they have far more than many other authorities. 

Police authorities hold each force to account - they appoint chief officers and set the budget but the government plans to replace them with locally elected police commissioners, which the TPA argues would be cheaper for taxpayers.

Devon and Cornwall police are currently trying to save £50m by 2015 - 700 officer and 500 civilian staff posts are to be cut.

The Police authority have so far been unavailable for comment.