Taxpayers face police tax rise after plan approved

The West Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel yesterday backed proposals by Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Burns-Williamson to increase the precept by 1.99 per cent.

Mr Burns-Williamson, who said 65 per cent of people who responded to a survey supported the move, said the increase would help pay for the recruitment of 126 police officers and 70 essential police staff roles in the next year.

He said: “This proposal is essential to continue sustained recruitment of police officers and staff and to protect the level of police community support officers.

“I am not prepared to take a risk when it comes to protecting our police service over the coming years by accepting short term freezes on offer from Government.”

But panel member Les Carter, who was among the Conservative members who voted against the plan, said: “It’s hard for rate payers at the moment and we didn’t think that there was a need for the increase.”