Loss-making Bristol Energy's boss earned £322k

Bristol Energy was the brainchild of the previous mayor George Ferguson and was launched in 2015

The ex-boss of a council-owned energy firm that made a £32m loss was paid £322,960, city council accounts show.

Managing director, Marek Majewicz, was paid a £228,081 salary last year and a £94,879 payout when he left. Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees earns £79,468 a year.

Liberal Democrat Tim Kent said: "He was being paid over £200,000 a year to lose council taxpayer's money at a rate of over £1m a month."

Mr Majewicz has not commented. Bristol City Council has declined to comment.

Speaking on BBC Radio Bristol, Mr Kent added: "I will say one thing, he was consistent. Every month that that company has operated they've lost £1m of Bristol taxpayers' money."

In the previous eight months, between August 2018 when Mr Majewicz first became a director of the company and March 2019, he took home a salary of £187,500, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The city council has insisted his salary and payout was a matter for the board of Bristol Energy.

"Given the substantial losses that we've seen with Bristol Energy, I imagine many people are as shocked as I am at the amount that's been paid to their former chief executive by the administration," said Mr Kent.

"I'm not being funny but I think my dog could have done a better job of running that company and he definitely would have charged a lot less than what has been paid."

Bristol Energy was set up in 2015 by Mr Rees' predecessor, Independent George Ferguson.

The council announced it was selling the company earlier this year and has already sold the part that serves business customers for £1.34million.

It is still negotiating the sale of the larger part serving residential customers.