TAXPAYERS in Cheshire will have to pay more council tax to limit the loss of bobbies on the beat.

Cheshire Police Authority yesterday voted to increase its precept by 3.94 per cent, rather than freeze council tax and accept a Government grant.

Residents in Band A properties will have to find an extra £3.80 per year, while those in Band D must pay £5.69 more.

The rise means Cheshire Police officer numbers will fall from 1,998 to 1,973 by March 2013.

The force expects to lose 72 officers in 2012/13, but the council tax rise will pay for the recruitment of 47 new bobbies. A council tax freeze would have paid for just 24 new officers.

Chief Constable Dave Whatton pledged to keep as many officers on the beat as possible.

He said: "We will minimise any reductions in neighbourhood policing, because I believe that is the fundamental building block of policing as a whole. With all the changes we have gone through we have still reduced total crime, and myself and my officers are committed to keeping people in Cheshire safe."

The force's £172.6 million budget for 2012/13 was the final one set by Cheshire Police Authority, which is made up of councillors and independent members, before the authority is replaced by a police and crime commissioner.

Members faced three options yesterday:

Freeze the policing part of the council tax for 2012/13, but cut the policing budget for the following year (2013/14) by £1.6 million;

Freeze the council tax for 2012/13, with a six per cent increase next year;

Raise the policing part of the council tax in 2012/13 by up to four per cent.

Chairman Margaret Ollerenshaw said: "We were offered a one-off grant to freeze council tax for 2012/13.

"If we had accepted, the result would have been a shortfall for the following year when the grant was not available. That would have meant even more savings in 2013/14.

"We must take a long term view of the impact of our decisions on policing.

"As a result, we decided on a small increase, as requested by the Chief Constable, which will offset some of the reduction in police officer posts. The Chief Constable gave us his assurance that this funding will be used to maintain visible and accessible officers in our communities."

The three options had been set out for residents during consultations. Of the 306 people surveyed, 181 backed an increase.

Labour Cheshire East councillor Peter Nurse said: "The extensive consultation did not raise a chorus of opposition to raising council tax, provided it was spent on police officers. The Government grant is attractive, but is just one year."

Independent member Michael Darby said: "At the roadshows many people said if there was one service they would pay more for it was the police."

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