MORE than 9,000 working days were lost in under five years at Bradford Council because officers were suspended, new figures show.

In the same period, £626,631 was paid out to staff who were not working while allegations against them were investigated.

The majority of suspensions - 25 of 98 - were for breaches of Council procedures, followed by 16 for conduct of a criminal nature.

Eleven people were suspended for theft or malicious damage and 14 for 'conduct prejudicial to Council interest.'

The figures, released under a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, cover April 1, 2010 to November 30, 2014 and show 9,386 working days were lost due to suspension.

Other internal investigations related to fighting, faking time sheets and fighting or physical assault.

Of the 98 Council officers suspended, 39 were dismissed; four were dismissed but reinstated on appeal and others were given warnings, resigned, cleared or transferred.

The number of officers being suspended has declined in recent years though, which the union Unison puts down to better guidance and support for managers with many issues nipped in the bud informally at an early stage.

Linda Crowther, the secretary of the Bradford branch of Unison, which represents around 6,000 out of the local authority's 9,426 staff, said the union and Council had a good relationship. By working together, they had reduced the cost of suspensions for the tax payer.

She said in 2008 trade unions and councils had developed an Industrial Relations Framework which guided local authorities and unions on how best to handle disciplinary issues.

"It's an agreement outlines how management and trade unions will work together in the best possible way to protect the Council and members' rights, but with a view to making sure that anything that can be difficult is worked on together to try and manage it," she said.

She said previous issues with some managers not handling suspensions correctly had been resolved and other ways of dealing with cases, such as transferring staff to other departments, were now considered.

"I think in the past it's been far to easy to suspend somebody and then forget about it and put it on the back burner," she said.

In 2010, there were 17 suspensions and £126,106 was paid out to staff. In 2011, there were 19 suspensions and in 2012 there were 27.

In 2013 the number dropped to 20 and the amount paid out was £108,636.

Up to November of last year, there had been 15 suspensions and £82, 331 paid out.

"I think it's [the reduction] mostly to do with partnership working and the support that's been put in place to support managers," Mrs Crowther said.

A Council spokesman said: "The Council’s Disciplinary Procedures were reviewed in June 2010 and updated to ensure that conduct issues would be dealt with in the most appropriate, effective and timely manner in the interests of the district's taxpayers, employees and the Council.

"Whilst we are unable to predict the number of disciplinary concerns, the Council considers alternatives to suspensions where appropriate and actively manages cases to ensure suspensions are not unduly lengthy.

"There is no allowance payable for suspensions. The costs of suspensions are managed within the existing budget provisions."