NON-EXECUTIVE directors at Somerfield received a one-off £15,000 payment just one day before recommending a £1.1 billion bid for the company to shareholders.

Last month the Somerfield board recommended the bid from a consortium that included Barclays Capital, Apax Partners, billionaire property developer Robert Tchenguiz and four of Somerfield’s executive directors, including chief executive Steve Back.

The unusual payment is disclosed in the consortium’s offer document, which was sent to Somerfield shareholders on Friday.

According to the document, the board resolved to make the payment “for extra services rendered to the company”.

The non-executive directors — Michael Firth, Barry Gibson, Peter Wilson and Lady Patten — are understood to have abstained from voting on the resolution.

The takeover bid for Somerfield, Britain’s fifth-largest grocer, followed eight months of tortuous negotiations.

The four non-execs, paid between £44,500 and £52,000 a year, are expected to lose their positions after the takeover.

John von Spreckelsen, Somerfield’s chairman and former chief executive, who has turned the retailer round over the past five years, will retire when the deal is concluded.

His 1.6m shares are worth £3.1m, and he will make a profit of £366,000 on his share options.