Leading Bradford councillors have failed to reach a decision on whether to go ahead with the appointment of a chief executive who could end up earning more than Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Interviews of candidates hoping to head Bradford's fourth biggest metropolitan authority with a 23,000 workforce have been cancelled after three of the six short-listed contenders dropped out.

The Council hit the national headlines in May when it advertised the job at £171,000 which could rise to £200,000 in exceptional circumstances.

The interviews were abandoned because leading councillors felt there were too few applicants to make meaningful comparisons.

But Tory deputy council leader Simon Cooke said they were expecting to advertise for a new director of marketing and communications with a salary scale of up to £80,000.

The new director would replace Owen Williams who left to become chief executive of Rossendale Borough Council in Lancashire five months ago.

Originally the Council anticipated appointing the director after the new chief executive was in place.

Yesterday members of the appointments panel - Tory Council leader Margaret Eaton, Labour group leader Ian Greenwood and Liberal Democrat group leader Jeanette Sunderland - met to further discuss the appointment of a chief executive but adjourned to go away and look at options.

They could include leaving the Council in the hands of acting chief executive Philip Robinson who has been praised by Coun Eaton for his work since former chief executive Ian Stewart left in May; approaching applicants who withdrew; or re-advertising the post and starting from scratch.