DORSET County Council has given nearly £5 million in redundancy payments in the last five years - and many of its lost posts are teachers.

Figures show the council has paid £4,705,163 since 2003/4.

The bill covers the loss of 353 part and full-time staff. About 140 were teachers.

Harry Turner, council head of pupil and school improvement, said: "In Dorset, in line with the national picture, in recent years there has been a sharp decline in the number of school-age children.

"This has led to the reduction of the number of teachers required in Dorset schools."

Dave Bowen, Dorset National Union of Teachers' secretary, said 20 schools were affected by redundancies last year - losing between one and three teachers each.

He said: "With costs rising and pupil numbers falling, schools are clearly in trouble.

"Morale also takes a dent when people leave because others wonder if it is going to be them in a year's time."

He said most teaching redundancies had been voluntary - typically involving people due to retire soon.

Dorset County Council said about 60 per cent of the payout went to teachers - about £2,800,000.

The rest went to other council-employed staff.

Figures were released under the Freedom of Information Act.