The former chief financial officer of Northern Rock, Ann Godbehere, received a £173,000 payment for travel expenses on top of her annual salary of £786,000. This makes Godbehere, who joined the lender shortly after it was nationalised, the highest paid director at Northern Rock. At the taxpayer's expense, Godbehere's £173,000 top up accounted for her travel between the UK and her home in Switzerland, the FT reported. The accounts, which were published today, show that Godbehere billed a total of £959,000 to the taxpayer.