Households will have to pay an extra 2p a day to help police chiefs keep their promise to maintain the number of bobbies on the beat across Powys.

Leaders of Dyfed Powys Police Authority yesterday set the budget for 2010/11 which would amount to a council tax increase of 4.46 per cent for a Band D property. The police authority’s share of the bill would rise from £173.70 a year per household in 2009/10 to £181.44 for the coming year.

It would be the equivalent of 2p a day per household in the force area.

Mrs Delyth Humfryes, chairman of the police authority, said the Dyfed Powys force had a strong financial plan in place for the coming years and the increase had been minimised by £1.4 million worth of efficiency savings. She added that the budget of £93.333 million had been agreed unanimously by authority members.

Mrs Humfryes said: “I am pleased that all authority members agreed the budget this morning along with the council tax increase of 4.46 per cent.

“I know that a lot of work has gone into keeping the increase below 4.5 per cent whilst still maintaining improvements to frontline services.

“Maintaining low levels of council tax is extremely challenging at this time as the money received each year from grants and Central Government is ever diminishing.

“I am pleased that we have managed to keep the increase to a minimum whilst maintaining police service standards.”

Ian Arundale, chief constable of Dyfed Powys Police, voiced his determination to maintain the number of officers on the streets. He said: “We recognise that we provide a vital service for our residents and it is important that people feel safe as well as actually being safe.

“This increase in council tax will allow the force to continue to ensure that we have the right people in the right place at the right time.”

Last month Powys County Council voted to increase council tax for the next financial year by 4.25 per cent in a bid to protect services. That would mean its share of tax for a Band D property would increase from £852.92 to £889.17, a rise of £36.25.

By Deborah Knox