CLEVELAND police chiefs are calling for an increase in council tax to put an extra 200 officers on the streets.

Plans to boost front-line policing were due to be discussed by the police authority yesterday.

They include a dedicated officer for every ward, a new anti-social behaviour task force made up of four teams and the recruitment of 100 additional community support officers.

A joint report by chief constable Sean Price and the police authority's chief executive, Joe McCarthy, says good financial housekeeping should provide enough funding to retain present numbers.

But, on the basis of information available so far about expected levels of Government grant, any growth would have to be met by taxpayers.

Police authority chairman Coun Ken Walker said he believed people would be prepared to pay for improvements which they could see making a difference on the streets.

He said: "We are at an early stage in the budget process, but we think it right to make clear the kind of choices which we - and indeed the community as a whole - will have to face.

"By rigorously examining the way we spend our money, we believe we can find about £2m, which will enable us to maintain current levels of service.

"In straightforward terms, delivering 200 extra officers would cost about £5.6m - that is equivalent to a rise on the council tax precept of 28.9 per cent. Of course that sounds a big increase, but for the vast majority of council tax payers it would be the equivalent of no more than 7p per day.

"I believe that the vast majority of the public, who time after time make clear that they want to see more officers on the front line, will recognise that a few pence a day is a price worth paying for making a real difference that they will be able to see for themselves - on their streets and in their communities."