WEEKS after pharmaceutical giants Shire announced plans to relocate from Basingstoke to London, it has been revealed the company's boss received a staggering 75 per cent pay rise in 2015.

Flemming Ornskov, Shire chief executive, collected £15million last year, up £12.1million on his pay-cheque in 2014 of £2.9million.

Last month The Gazette told how Shire's 270 employees faced an uncertain future after the company announced plans to quit Basingstoke after 30 years in the town. 

The global biopharmaceutical specialists are set to move to a new premises in Paddington to be "closer to the heart of life science communities and resources" whilst sharing some services with its Dublin branch.

The main reason behind Dr Ornskov's income increase is due to the Danish father-of-four being handed shares of the company worth £11.6million.

A spokesperson for Shire said: "Dr Ornskov has transformed Shire and through his leadership, the team at Shire has accelerated its financial performance, created over $20 billion of value and delivered an exceptional total shareholder return of 128%.

"The company is now well-positioned to become the global leader in rare diseases. 

"The CEO remuneration package reflects this tremendous performance and, with its focus on rewarding long-term value creation, is firmly aligned with shareholder interests."

Talks between Shire's employees in Basingstoke and its bosses will continue until July to see what number of staff can be retained for the move from Hampshire International Business Park in Chineham. 

The company is expected to leave Basingstoke by the end of 2017.