Dorset residents are likely to pay an extra £10 a year on their council tax from April to boost the police budget.

The amount equates to an increase in the police share of the council tax of just under four per cent.

The county's police and crime commissioner, David Sidwick, claims the extra amount is supported by most people.

Proposals for the police budget are due to be discussed at a meeting of the police and crime panel on Thursday, February 3.

If approved it will add £10 to the 'average' band D home; £6.67 to band A and £20 a year for band H properties.

The commissioner says that an online survey in December showed that 77 per cent of those who participated agreed that Dorset Police need extra funding, with 67 per cent willing to pay the 83p a week extra on band D homes to achieve a balanced budget and recruit more officers.

The increase will give the force just short of £164m for 2023/24. Just over half of the force core budget comes from the Government, the rest made up by local council tax.

Budget assumptions include a predicted 2.5 per cent pay award for staff and a growth in the taxbase of two per cent mainly because of additional homes across the Dorset and BCP council areas which will generate an extra £340,000 without any council tax increase at all.

A report to the panel reminds councillors and other members that pay and employment costs make up over 85 per cent of the Chief Constable's budget. With the force expecting to recruit an additional 67 officers in the year, anticipated pay increases and other pay pressures there is predicted to be an additional cost of a £6.1m on the force pay budget. Any pay increases above 2.5 per cent could prove difficult for the force to manage, unless help is offered by the Government.

More than £1m has been added in the next financial year for various growth areas and £1.5m for inflationary costs.

Despite the increases the force is still expecting a budget gap of £2.6m but is hoping to make identified savings of £1.9m during the year including reducing supplies and services budgets, removing some long-term vacant posts, more efficient training processes, reduced ICT costs and further savings through regional working. The force hopes to find the remaining £500,000 shortfall, as yet not identified, during the year.

Other increases paid for by the police share of the council tax include an extra £35,000 for the budget of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, bringing it up to £1.3m for 22/23.