Harrow Borough Council has defended plans for new senior advisory posts - saying claims of a ‘secret’ allowance of £65,000 are "completely inaccurate".

Council leader Councillor Thaya Idaikkadar explained that a portfolio holder deciding to employ a newly created ‘portfolio advisor’ would have to share their existing allowance with the advisor.

The job, which has no defined set of responsibilities, would come with an allowance of £6,630 a year.

The position of portfolio holder assistant, which has a £2,040 allowance and a defined job description, already exists.

Barry Macleod-Cullinane, deputy leader of the Conservative group, accused the council of creating a secret allowance to give up to ten backbenchers an 81 per cent pay rise while increasing council tax, making 230 redundancies, and cutting services.

Cllr Idaikkadar said: “This story is completely inaccurate.”

The council added that changes to portfolio assistants are intended providing capacity and efficiency and is well within the budget set aside for special responsibility allowances.

The plans will be voted on at the council's budget meeting on February 28.