P&O Ferries boss paid £683k after firing nearly 800 people

The boss of P&O Ferries was paid £683,000 in the financial year after the cross-Channel operator outraged the public and parliament by dismissing almost 800 mainly British workers.

- Simon Goodley

The windfall, revealed in much-delayed 2023 accounts seen by the Guardian and ITV News that report more than £90m of annual losses, represents a pay rise of at least 55% for Peter Hebblethwaite, who was the company's highest-paid director.

The top pay package in 2022 of £440,000 was earned by a former P&O Ferries board member.

Hebblethwaite told a parliamentary select committee last year his salary was £325,000 and that he had received a bonus in 2023 of £183,000. He was asked during the appearance if he was "a pirate" who appeared to be "robbing staff blind".

"I reflected on accepting that payment, but ultimately I did decide to accept it," he told MPs about the bonus at the time. "I do recognise it is not a decision that everybody would have made."