Christmas pay-out blunder

Council staff have got an unexpected Christmas bonus

Thousands of council workers got an unexpected Christmas bonus when they were paid double their salaries by mistake.

But the 3,500 Warwickshire County Council workers have been warned that January will be pay-back time.

A spokewoman told BBC News Online that staff had been sent letters explaining that a mistake was made in their salaries.

And she said the intention was that staff would not be paid next month to make up for the error.

Although we would be delighted to be giving staff what appears to be such a wonderful Christmas bonus, we are taking steps to retrieve the situation

Dave Clarke, council treasurer

The county council has apologised for the blunder, which it blamed on a clerical error in payroll processing and a mistake by its bankers.

Council treasurer Dave Clarke cited "a very unusual combination of factors which would be extremely unlikely to recur".

He said: "Although we would be delighted to be giving staff what appears to be such a wonderful Christmas bonus, we are taking steps to retrieve the situation".

He added that council tax-payers would not face any costs for rectifying the situation.

"Our bank has agreed to take responsibility for any costs which fall on the county council."