The man who has spearheaded the University of Huddersfield’s rapid rise has today hit back at criticism over university salary deals - labelling it misleading.

Prof Bob Cryan was furious about a new survey which claimed university bosses are spending huge amounts of money on air fares and first-class travel, and enjoying massive salaries.

And he attacked the University and College Union for labelling the Huddersfield university as “secretive”, because it had not furnished full details of a Freedom of Information request. The University insisted the request for details was too complex to be fully answered in time and said details in the survey were “misleading”.

Prof Cryan, who has been Vice Chancellor since 2007, pledged to publish details of all his expenses to end any doubts.

And he revealed that his salary has just been increased after a four-year pay freeze at his own request.

UCU regional official, Julie Kelley, said: ‘This report lifts the lid on the inconsistent and arbitrary nature of senior pay and perks in our universities and shines a light on the murky world of shadowy remuneration committees who sign off these deals.

‘It’s a chaotic state of affairs where some vice-chancellors spend thousands on travel or enjoy large pay rises, while others face pay restraint and a modest expense account. “We need a far more transparent system that allows for proper scrutiny of spending at the top and the rationale behind pay rises”.

But an angry Prof Cryan said the salary figure of £287,000 for 2013/14 in the survey is inaccurate, because it is also includes the pension contribution. His salary is £247,000 with pension contributions of £40,000 and was frozen for a four-year period. It had previously been £226,000.

The salary is set by an independent University committee and it was this committee that decided his pay should be increased to reflect the fact that the University has grown by 50% since his appointment. It is one of only a small number that has paid off all of its long term debt whilst concurrently embarking upon a major new building programme, notably without borrowing.

The University now has 22,000 students and 1,800 staff and is estimated to contribute some £270m to the Huddersfield economy.

A University spokesman said: “Despite national accolades such as University of the Year, Best University Workplace and Inspiring Guardian Leader award, Prof Cryan’s salary was well below the national average for comparable institutions and this was wholly because of his own request of the four-year salary freeze

“The Vice-Chancellor is and always has been very open and transparent about his expenses and receives no additional benefits as part of his contract.

“He has never received an allowance for his car, his house, his health care or his personal insurance and he always attempts to find the most economical means of travel. He has never used first-class air travel and only rarely used business class travel.

“The Vice-Chancellor’s expenses are reviewed and signed off quarterly by the University’s independent Chair of the University’s Audit Committee. As a record of this openness and transparency, the University, at the Vice-Chancellor’s request, is going to publish all his expenses online as a public record”.

The Top 10 earners

1 Nottingham Trent University: Prof Neil Gorman £623,000

2 London Metropolitan University: Prof Malcolm Gillies £453,000

3 University of Oxford: Prof Andrew Hamilton £442,000

4 London Business School: Prof Sir Andrew Likierman £419,000

5 The Open University: Martin Bean £412,000

6 University of Birmingham: Prof Sir David Eastwood £410,000

7 University of Exeter: Prof Steve Smith £400,000

8 University of Bath: Prof Glynis M Breakwell £395,000

9 London School of Economics: Prof Craig Calhoun £394,000

10 University of Surrey: Sir Christopher Snowden £392,000

*Figures from University and College Union