Shropshire residents to be asked whether they would pay more for policing

It comes after the county's crime chief admitted there were "still difficult decisions to be made".

West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner Bill Longmore is asking people whether they would be willing to pay more in council tax next year.

The news will come as a surprise to some after the Government announced last week that police funding would be protected over the next four years.

But Mr Longmore said the "devil was in the detail" and warned that extra cash would still have to be found at a local level just for the force to maintain its current levels of activity.

The Government will confirm each force's final amount of formula grant funding for 2016/17 in mid-December. That grant currently accounts for about 60 per cent of the total budget for policing in West Mercia.

Council tax contributions account for the remaining 40 per cent, and the commissioner has to set the precept each year – how much the force requires from local taxpayers – following consultation with local communities.

Mr Longmore said: "It's very clear when you look closely at the Government's figures, there will still be a significant cut to police funding, so there are still difficult decisions to be made. To even attempt 'standing still' in financial terms, we are going to have to put extra money in at a local level.

"It's no secret that we have very healthy reserves here, which we have carefully managed in recent years, but we cannot just use that money to cover ongoing expenses."

He added: "So I would invite everyone to get in touch and let me know what they think about the idea of paying more towards policing."

• People can send responses by email to opcc@westmercia.pnn.police.uk, by writing to the Office of the PCC, PO Box 487, Shrewsbury, SY2 6LG, or by filling out the survey form on www.westmercia-pcc.gov.uk. The consultation closes on January 18.