The first West Midlands Mayor Andy Street is likely to be paid about £79,000 a year.

That is the sum being proposed by an independent panel - and represents a major fall in earnings for the former John Lewis boss who had been used to hundreds of thousands.

The panel, which was chaired by Professor Steve Leach of De Montfort University, studied the role and responsibilities of the mayor and looked at what other public figures in the region earned.

For example, John Clancy is paid £50,000 as Birmingham City Council leader.

In contrast, the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan earns £144,000 a year and in Greater Manchester interim mayor Tony Lloyd picks up £100,000 a year - although in both cases the mayor carries out the duties of the police and crime commissioner.

This is currently a separate role in the West Midlands.

The West Midlands panel heard evidence from Wolverhampton council leader Roger Lawrence, Solihull leader Bob Sleigh and Dudley leader Pete Lowe before reaching their conclusion.

They also decided there should be no salary for the deputy mayor as that role will be filled by one of the region's seven council leaders.

Their recommendation will go to the West Midlands Combined Authority board for approval on March 4. A salary must be set before March 24 ahead of the May 4 election.

It would mark a massive pay cut for Conservative candidate Street.

He will begin a three-year term as the West Midlands' first elected mayor now, having completed a major swing away from Labour as compared to the last local elections.