The West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Mark Burns-Williamson, yesterday welcomed the support of the Police and Crime Panel for his proposal to increase the police’s council tax precept to pay for 200 more officers and staff.

The panel backed the near two per cent increase for 2014-15 at its meeting last month.

Mr Burns-Williamson said the increase, which would cost taxpayers less than a penny extra a day, would help finance the recruitment of an extra 126 officers and 70 essential police staff.