COUNCIL chiefs have carried out 38 gross misconduct hearings since January 2013, The Press can reveal.

City of York Council, which has around 3,000 employees, chose to sack 19 people following those hearings, having suspended 28 of them on full pay while they waited for their cases to be heard.

The hearings were carried out for a wide range of reasons, which could have been for anything from theft to substance misuse or abusive and threatening behaviour.

The figures, which were revealed in a Freedom of Information request, have been condemned by campaign groups for taxpayers.

The Press has previously reported how the authority paid nearly £210,000 between 2010 and 2013 to suspended staff for gross misconduct allegations including violence, drink-driving, turning up for work drunk, and inappropriate sexual conduct.

Figures show one employee was paid £38,581.46 after “mismanagement leading to distrust”.

Jonathan Isaby, chief executive of The TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “Taxpayers will be struck by what appears to be a very high number indeed.

“The important thing, when there are suspicions of misconduct, is that the wheels of justice move quickly.

“Leaving people on full pay when they’re not working doesn’t help anyone, and the bills can spiral.”

Mark Bennett, head of business HR at City of York Council, said: “Allegations of gross misconduct against staff are investigated under the council’s disciplinary procedure.”