French mayor, Stéphane Delpeyrat, had decided to set an example by slashing his salary, only to be told that his pay cut was illegal and he had to double his pay.
On his election in 2014, the socialist had announced to the 505 villagers of Saint Aubin, Aquitaine, that he would make his monthly income €400 (£303).
However, he received a letter which advised him that mayors of villages with less than 1,000 residents cannot be paid less than 800 monthly, under a law that came into force at the start of January.
