West Yorkshire Police looks set to slap an extra charge on your council tax to pay for more officers on the streets.

The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Mark Burns-Williamson is currently consulting on whether to ask residents to pay more.

He has been given the option to add up to £12 a year onto average council tax bills in 2017/18.

Amid a survey on whether people are prepared to pay extra for policing, Mr Burns-Williamson has hit out at the government’s funding of the police – which is the same as last year.

He said: “The Policing Minister, Nick Hurd, has made it clear any increase in funding for local forces needs to be a cost burden to the local taxpayer and with these further cuts I will have little choice.

Kiklees council tax bill

“Mr Hurd talks about an increase to local police forces but the same cash grant as 2017/18 is, in reality, a significant cut to our policing budget over the next two years, when absorbing further inflation and pay increases.

“He has announced additional flexibility for PCCs around the police precept, the policing element of the council tax, of up to £12 a year on a Band D property.

“But that means more people who are already struggling in West Yorkshire would be unfairly penalised by transferring the burden to local taxpayers.

“The government has acknowledged the significant increase in demand on the police to tackle domestic abuse, modern slavery, child sex exploitation and cyber-crime but has not made any extra resources available locally.

“While I, of course, welcome more resources for counter terrorism units, the way we will help to prevent terrorism locally is to invest in more neighbourhood policing.

“I will continue to do what I can to help to protect neighbourhood policing but with procurement savings, digital technology embedded and plans for the use of one off reserves in place I cannot do this through so called opportunities to improve effectiveness and efficiency alone, which is a well-worn government mantra.

“West Yorkshire is an area of some of the greatest policing needs and despite repeated warnings, including from West Yorkshire MPs, I am disappointed that the government has refused to invest more in our local communities and I will be continuing to fight for a fairer funding deal for our county.

“The price we all pay for an under-resourced police service in West Yorkshire is too high.”