SURREY Police Authority has agreed its budget for the next financial year will amount to a two-and-a-half per cent increase for council taxpayers.

The gross budget in 2012/13 will be £208.8m – a reduction of £3.5m from 2011/12.

The budget agreed at a public meeting in Godalming on Monday, is the last to be set by the police authority, which will be replaced by a police and crime commissioner following an election in November.

The increase in its share of council tax will take the policing element of the council tax bill for a Band D household from £198.54 to £203.49 for the year.

For full story, see this week's Haslemere Herald.