Six council workers received pay-offs just before they were due to go before hearings which could have seen them fired, Kingston Council has admitted.

Kingston Council gave another sacked worker money to stop him going to an employment tribunal hearing.

The council refused to reveal the amounts paid out or the total amount, citing confidentiality clauses agreed with the workers.

A spokesman said: “The terms of the compromise agreements are strictly confidential to the parties and, particularly in view of the small number of cases involved, we are unable to supply the details of costs.

“However, we make payments at an economic level taking into account the potential costs to the council of defending the case through internal and tribunal proceedings.”

The pay-offs do not include schools, which hire and fire their own staff.

Last month the Conservatives said councils should be forced to publish detailed information on expenditure, including senior staff’s pay and perks and proposed guidance to stop “rewards for failure” for sacked staff.

Councillor Howard Jones, leader of Kingston Conservatives, said councils and many other organisations occasionally offered financial settlements to avoid the expensive legal costs of tribunals.

He added: “I would like to know the total costs in the public interest. Pay-offs can sometimes be used as a short cut to save embarrassment in the council by having a public hearing.”

Since April 2004, 44 staff have been either fired or left Kingston Council before they could be sacked.