Warwickshire Police raise council tax but MPs prefer to ask the minister

The force had been offered a grant equivalent to a three per cent rise in exchange for freezing its share of the bill, but turned it down in favour of a 3.9 per cent rise - just below the level that would have required them to hold a referendum.

The rise will mean householders in an average band D property will pay an extra £6.86 a year.

The authority says the alternative would have meant having to cut 27 police officers to meet a £3.8m funding black hole created following the Government Spending Review last year.

In total, Warwickshire Police was told to reduce its budget of just under £100m by £23m by 2015. A 3.9 per cent increase in council tax will provide the force with an additional £1.4 million over the 12 months from April and in future years. The one-off Government council tax grant would have provided around £1m for the coming year only.

Defending the rise, police authority chairman Phil Robson said: “Authority members recognised that if we had chosen to accept a one-year three per cent grant from the Government, because this will not be repeated next year, we would be asking the chief constable to find additional savings in 2014 and 2015 above those already required by Warwickshire’s first police and crime commissioner, who will be elected this November.

“The decision was a difficult one at a time when personal finances are stretched but we felt that this was the correct course of action. We have considered the medium term financial position of Warwickshire Police, not just 2012/13,”

Warwick and Leamington MP Chris White stated his opposition to an increase in the police’s council tax bill when the police began public consultation last month.

Mr White said he and other Warwickshire Conservative MPs would be meeting policing and criminal justice minister Nick Herbert to put the case for more money for the county’s force.

He said it was impossible to guarantee anything before the meeting but added: “We’re going to put a very strong case. The Warwickshire MPs are all of one mind on this. Hopefully the minister will be persuaded.”

• Former Warwick and Leamington Labour MP James Plaskitt has announced his intention to stand for election for the position of police and crime commissioner.