A COUNCIL leader has urged the Government to protect people from sharp increases in council tax resulting from police authority spending plans.

Cleveland Police Authority's proposals for extra officers would mean a 29 per cent rise in the police portion of council tax bills in Stockton.

It would be the third year in a row that the police authority has asked for large council tax increases, following rises of 25 per cent in April and 38 per cent last year.

Stockton Borough Council leader Bob Gibson said people had paid too much and he said he will write to Government Minister Nick Raynsford to urge him to investigate the need for council tax increases to pay for more police.

Coun Gibson said: "The result would be that we would end up paying for all of the cost of all police recruits all of the time. That would be catastrophic."

Councillor Ken Walker, the chairman of Cleveland Police Authority, said: "If Coun Gibson thinks that local people have paid enough, does that mean he wants no further development in the wide-ranging services the police provide in Stockton?

"Is he happy with the level of criminality in the community - so happy that he wants no further investment in our policing service?"