TAXPAYERS in Hampshire are set to foot an even bigger bill as the police authority votes for an 8.1 per cent hike in its share of the council tax.

The authority announced the move today and there is expected to be further bad news for peoples' pockets on Thursday when the county council is likely to agree a 4.5 per cent rise.

The police authority rise, which will bring in an extra £2.6m to the force, is nearly quadruple the rate of inflation and massively above last year's 4.97 per cent increase.

About a tenth of the total council tax bill goes to the police and the rise equates to 19p a week, compared to 12p a week or £125.37 a year, for the average Band D property for 2007/8.

The lion's share of the tax goes to fund services provided by the county council and if councillors agree to a 4.5 per cent rise today the average Band D property will be billed £999 a year for county council services.

Conservative chiefs have recommended a budget that contains savings of £14.6million and say inflation, coupled with a growing demand on services and a low grant settlement from central government means the 4.5 per cent rise is as low as it can go.

The Tories have claimed frontline services won't suffer but opposition Lib Dem councillors have attacked cuts including £1m in the road casualty reduction budget, £673,000 from bus services and £7.4m from adult and children's services.

The final bill that lands on residents' doorsteps is expected to go up to about £1,350 once all rises from district, town and parish councils have been confirmed.

In neighbouring Dorset the county council part of the tax is also to rise by 4.5 per cent, taking the total bill for services up to £1096.20 for the average Band D property.

Both New Forest and East Dorset district councils will be meeting on Monday to set the level of their own precepts, along with many towns and parishes, which will then give the total council tax amount residents in each area will have to pay.