LONDON (Reuters) – How much does it cost to change a light bulb? — “A lot” is the answer if you are a taxpayer in Birmingham. Over 90,000 pounds in fact.

A furious row has erupted over the news that a council street and traffic lights engineer received 91,000 pounds for 2005/2006 including overtime bonuses — even though he was off sick.

The average pay in Britain is about 23,000 pounds a year.

Birmingham City Council’s Alan Rudge said he intended to stamp out the practice of workers getting bloated pay packets.

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