AN expensive pension payout for Scotland's top fire chief has been criticised by a public spending watchdog.
Brian Sweeney retired last year as Firemaster at Strathclyde Fire and Rescue, collecting a lump sum pension payment. But he was re-hired a month later in the same £150,000-a-year job, landing taxpayers with a potential £200,000 bill.
A report by Audit Scotland said the deal "would not meet the public's expectations of what is an acceptable use of public funds".
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