taxpayers in part of the region will have to pay extra for their fire service.

The County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Authority has approved an increase in its portion of the council tax bill that is close to the five per cent rise that could have led to the bill being capped by the government.

It will take the band A bill - the majority of the county's houses are in that category - from £48.96 to £51.36.

The authority has approved a £26.764m budget - £700,000 less than this year. The council said frontline services would be maintained and efficiency savings found from backroom operations.

Service chief executive Susan Johnson said: "Our number one priority is to protect life and property and to ensure the safety of residents."

Authority chairman Councillor Charles Magee said: "The authority has faced a challenging year as the pace of change required to meet the expectations of our local communities and Government continues to accelerate.

"Financially, the coming year will be incredibly challenging and we shall continue to look at every aspect of the service to identify savings and efficiencies, while maintaining a fire and rescue service that meets the expectations and requirements of residents and businesses throughout County Durham and Darlington."

Durham County Council, which receives about 80 per cent of the council tax, will levy a 4.6 per cent rise, accompanied by £14m-worth of cuts. The police share of the bill may also rise by more than four per cent.

The new fire charges are: band A £51.36; B £59.92; C £68.48; D £77.04; E £94.16; F £111.28; G £128.40; H £154.08.