Proposed pay rises include a £9,030 rise for the authority's chief executive from £152,970 to £162,000, and an £11,894 increase for four directors from £111,106 to £123,000 annually.

Heads of service will also receive an increase of over £5,900 and see their wages rise to £96,000 in band one, £84,000 in band two and £72,000 in band three.

The announcement comes just three months after Humberside Fire Authority voted to remove a full-time appliance from the Goole station and downgrade it to a retained unit, drastically reducing cover in the area and potentially endangering lives and property in Snaith and surrounding villages.

Goole and Brigg MP Ian Cawsey, whose constituency covers Snaith and Cowick, said whilst he accepted it was a matter for the ruling Conservative group, he hoped they would realise large pay increases for already well-paid executives would cause anger and offence to families paying for it through their council tax.

The MP (pictured) added: "It's not helped the same Conservative Group voted to support the downgrading of fire services in the area, and I think we're left wondering why they think senior management pay is more important than the safety of people in our area.

"I think if they put this choice to the people they would find that the great majority would wish them to reverse both of their decisions."

Tory prospective parliamentary candidate for Goole and Brigg Andrew Percy also criticised the move branding it "insensitive".

But he added: "What we have actually seen in the last few years is big rises across the country in council officers' pay, and that hasn't been discouraged by the government. It's sad that to compete, ERYC has had to raise wages in line with the rest of the country."

An ERYC spokesman said a cross-party leaders review panel requested an independent consultants' report into salaries after difficulty was experienced in recruiting senior officers of the right calibre in the face of competition from other authorities.

It was revealed salaries, which had not been reviewed for six years, had fallen well behind those paid by other comparable local authorities and the new salaries would still remain lower than other comparable authorities.

The spokesman added the proposed increases would be met from efficiency savings and not from increasing the council tax.