FORTY-ONE teachers and council staff were suspended in the past year — costing taxpayers £400,000.

Barnet Council sent 31 people on “gardening leave” in the past year, with ten staff from the borough’s schools having similar action taken against them.

The action is taken following allegations of misconduct, although details on actual cases cannot be released due to data protection laws.

In total, the 41 staff were off for 4,233 days, meaning they earned on average £92 a day — £387,747 in total — while they waited for an outcome on their case.

The figures, were released following a question put to the cabinet by Conservative councillor Brian Salinger at the meeting of the council last week.

He said his motives were to highlight the extent of the “problem” the council faces. “I was surprised the figures were as much as that,” said the former council leader.

“There is a need to recognise that in parts of the organisation when there are key senior staff suspended it has an enormous detrimental affect on all the other staff who are put under immense strain.

“I know it is considered on a case-by-case basis, which is right, but it doesn’t get away from my belief that priority needs to be given to finding the right solution quickly.”

Of the council employees suspended, there are 12 cases ongoing, five people have been given final written warnings, five have resigned, three were dismissed, two reached a compromise agreement, and only four have been fully reinstated.

There are still six on going cases in relation to school workers, one person has resigned, one person reached a compromise agreement and two faced no action.

Council bosses said they are tied to employment law when it comes to investigating the cases, and follow strict guidelines when suspending staff.

The ACAS codes of practice encourages employers to suspend only “where the nature of the case for both/either the employer or employee would pose difficulties if they remained in the work place”.

Mr Salinger said the shortfalls in staff numbers during going cases needs to be addressed properly but promptly to ensure standards are maintained.

He said: “It is detrimental to the council budget, to the services, and to the people who receive the services.

“We can’t advertise the job and offer it to someone else when there is a chance the person suspended may be reinstated, hence the imperative to get it sorted.”