Next year's council tax will go up by 3.97 per cent for people across the Bradford district, it was decided last night.

It means householders like Leanne Hellmich and her partner Michael Turner, of Heaton, living in a 'Band B' house, will have to find an extra £33.70 a year.

At the top end of the scale, Band H home owners will now have to pay more than £2,200 a year, an increase of £86.67.

The increase was finally agreed last night after Bradford Council - which takes the biggest share of your tax bill - decided the amounts it would levy in addition to the bills for West Yorkshire's police and fire services and town and parish councils which have already been decided.

The 3.97 percent increase figure was a compromise reached after a gruelling six hours of City Hall negotiations between three of the political groups which make up the hung Council.

At the start of the evening the ruling Conservative group had proposed an increase of 4.7 per cent, Labour 2.89 per cent, the Liberal Democrats four per cent and the Green group five per cent. All were rejected.

Six hours of negotiations went by before the revised increase was passed by members. But even then only the Conservatives and the British National Party (BNP) - who made no proposals of their own - voted in favour.

Both Labour and the Greens abstained, allowing the budget to pass, while the Liberal Democrats voted against it.

The 3.97 per cent increase will raise the cost of living in a Band B property, the most common property type in the district, by £33.70p.

Miss Hellmich and Mr Turner, of Neville Grove, live in such a property, have a 19 month-old son, Kristopher, a second child on the way and will have to find the extra money to pay for the increase.

Miss Hellmich said: "We pay a lot already and I have not got a clue how it is spent around here. I wouldn't mind paying so much as long it is used for something important.

"I am concerned about the maintenance of the streets, and keeping that up to scratch, because I am a driver. And I don't mind money being spent on education - that matters to me because my son will be going to school."

The rise will see the Council accumulate a total budget of £616 million. Of this £1 million extra will be spent on education, £200,000 of that on helping boost the achievements of children in care, and more than £2 million extra on social services.

Around £2.5 million will be spent on waste management to help the authority hit Government targets and avoid fines, while £250,000 has been set aside for civil contingencies like flooding.

Conservative Councillor Margaret Eaton, leader of the Council, hailed the budget as "sound" adding: "It reflects our desire to focus on front line services and make efficiencies. The council tax is slightly lower than in the original document, but I welcome this lower figure on the basis that many people on fixed income, and the elderly, have very serious concerns about a higher rise.

"The budget will need careful monitoring throughout the year and the executive will not flinch from that charge."

Liberal Democrat deputy leader, Councillor David Ward, hit out at the Labour group for abstaining and allowing the Conservative budget to pass. He said: "I do not think this is the right way to go about setting a budget of £600 million."

Coun Ward added: "We are bitterly disappointed in the Labour group. With just one per cent more on council tax we could have had £1.5 million in the base budget for schools, year in year out, and £600,000 additional for youth services, and yet Labour have again sat on their hands, allowing this budget."

But Labour group leader Councillor Ian Greenwood defended the negotiations which took place and the final budget agreement as "responsible".

His deputy, Councillor Dave Green, said: "We abstained because the alternative would have been to throw the Council into chaos to the detriment of residents. The Liberal Democrats were completely unwilling to negotiate on anything other than their own terms and appeared to be happy to see the Council dragged into deadlock and disrepute."

Councillor David Ford, of the Green group, said he had been encouraged by the discussions which took place before the budget was finally set: "This has been a good example of political parties working together to try to achieve common purpose. We, in many ways, are disappointed by some omissions, both in spending commitments and sustainable savings. But we are pleased there is a commitment to recycling, and not just because of Government targets, but because there is a recognition that it is the right thing to do."

In Kirklees the council tax has risen by 4.9 per cent and in Leeds the increase for residents has been set at 4.25 per cent.