West Yorkshire Police has been granted a five per cent increase to its budget to tackle crime.

But a police authority member warned today that Council Tax bills would have to go up next year to avoid cutbacks to the number of beat bobbies.

The Government has upped its grant to the West Yorkshire force to £289.4 million.

The settlement is a part of an increased package for crime fighting across the country worth six per cent overall.

Home Office minister John Denham said the increase would help pay for more police officers to tackle street crime, gun crime and anti-social behaviour.

The settlement represented a "very substantial commitment to policing and combating crime," he said.

But in Bradford Councillor Clive Richardson (Con, Thornton) a member of the West Yorkshire Police Authority, said they had hoped for an increase of at least 5.1 per cent as this was required just to set a standstill budget.

The actual increase of 4.9 per cent means the authority faces a choice - cutting officers, or increasing the Council Tax precept.

The police authority will meet on February 21 and 28 to decide the new precept, he said.

Opening a Commons debate on the grant support package, Mr Denham said police numbers were now at record levels and the Government was on target for 132,500 officers by 2004.

"The chances of being a victim of crime are at the lowest for 20 years," he said.

In West Yorkshire, Coun Richardson said there were fewer policemen per head of population than in similar metropolitan areas and another 1,015 were needed.

In December, news of the budget rise of around 4.9 per cent for the county's police service received a "cautious welcome" from West Yorkshire Police Authority.

"Ideally, the force would like to see an even higher figure," said the chairman of West Yorkshire Police Authority, Melvyn Smith.

"The force also has the fewest police officers per head of population of any Metropolitan force. On average there are 363 people per police officer in Metropolitan Forces. In West Yorkshire the figure is 425 per officer. We will have to make some tough decisions if we are to provide extra officers in the coming year."

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