HAMPSHIRE'S Police and Crime Commissioner has called on the Prime Minister to look again at employment laws that he claims led to an "extraordinary pay out" to one of Hampshire's top police bosses.

Jenni Douglas-Todd was handed £220,411 after leaving the role of chief executive of Hampshire's Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) after just 15 months.

Now Simon Hayes has told the Daily Echo he backs calls for Government to re-examine the legislation and went as far as calling on David Cameron to look at the levels of severance and redundancy payments.

The figures came out through research by the Taxpayers' Alliance of police staff and employees receiving packages of more than £100,000.

They show how the £220,411 received in 2013/2014 included a £35,948 "compensation for loss of employment", £9,825 in pension contributions and £174,638 in salary, fees and allowances.

That money includes her £90,000 salary and other money paid to her in a package after she left the OPCC in January last year which was also due to her from when she was working for the Police Authority.

Southampton Itchen MP Royston Smith has said "the culture of excessive payouts to already highly-paid public sector workers" needed to end and Mr Hayes, who has previously said this was Mrs Douglas-Todd's "entitlement", agreed.

He said: "Government should look at legislation that insists on these extraordinary pay outs.

"I know the public find it difficult to accept that employment law says these sums of money have to be paid, right across the public sector, when people leave employment.

"I call upon the Prime Minister to examine levels of severance and redundancy payment to put some realism into UK employment legislation."

Mr Hayes also denied that a “personality clash” was the reason behind Mrs Douglas-Todd's departure.

As previously reported, Mrs Douglas-Todd, who lives near Winchester, has previously worked in the Probation Service, central Government and the Independent Police complaints Commission then joined the Police Authority in 2009, where she was Chief Executive.

In November 2012 this was replaced by the OPCC and in accordance with national legislation the 52-year-old mum became its Chief Executive.

On her departure, the PCC said: "Jenni has decided it is time for her to move on and explore new challenges."

Mrs Douglas-Todd is now managing director of Diversa Consultancy, a company registered to Harrow, Middlesex and Investigating Committee Chair at the General Dental Council.

A Treasury spokesman said: “We will do all we can to rein in excess where we find it, including bringing pay and perks at the top end of the public sector under control.

“The Chancellor has been clear – the government will claw back redundancy payments for high earners who leave and then return to the public sector within a year - and change the law so that public sector payoffs are capped at £95,000 even for the highest-paid public servants.

“And as part of the Spending Review, the Chancellor will issue new guidance on pay and terms that sets out what he regards as unacceptable practices.”

The Daily Echo has been unable to contact Mrs Douglas-Todd.