Council tax payers across Bradford face an 11.5 per cent hike in their bills this year.

The Telegraph & Argus can reveal Bradford Council is considering increasing its proportion of the bill by about 8.9 per cent - more than three times the rate of inflation.

On top of that, West Yorkshire Police Authority is expected to put up its precept by 25 per cent for the second year running and West Yorkshire Fire Authority will consider a 30 per cent increase in its precept at a meeting on Friday.

The overall effect of the anticipated increases will leave residents in the average D council tax band paying £1,037 a year compared with £930.64 in 2002/3.

The hike in last year's police precept reflected the cost of the riots, but this year's increase takes into account the fact that West Yorkshire has about 1,000 fewer officers than similar-sized areas.

It comes amid increasing demands for more officers on the street in places such as Undercliffe in Bradford where 17 old people were robbed and assaulted within about two weeks.

Councillor Clive Richardson (Con, Thornton), a Bradford representative on the police authority, is sending newsletters to his 5,500 electors asking people what they want from the police and how much they want to pay.

Coun Richardson said he could not comment or speculate on the amount of the precept to be considered by the authority at its meeting on February 21. A police authority spokesman said it had not yet been discussed.

Coun Richardson said: "I have never consulted people before about the police precept but I think it is the time to do it.

"There are 1,015 fewer officers in West Yorkshire than similar metropolitan authorities."

More policemen would have to be paid for, he added.

The anticipated increase in the fire precept would mean people paying an average of 14p a week for the service - or £7.30 a year.

A fire authority spokesman said changes in pensions had added £2.4 million to the costs of running the service. The Govern-ment's decision to increase National Insurance contributions had pushed expenditure up and a firefighters' pay settlement could cost about £2.5 million.

Bradford Council's political groups are meeting to discuss their own proposals but education will again be top priority with £4 million set aside for it.

The Council has already agreed to earmark £1.3 million in this year's budget for the Capital of Culture bid and councillors are likely to ask for at least some of it to be diverted elsewhere in view of the failure to reach the short list.