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Norfolk agrees £24 council tax rise to pay for more police

BBC Norfolk PCC Lorne GreenBBC
Lorne Green said he asked for the money as policing had become more "complex"

The cost of funding policing in Norfolk is to rise by £24 a year after a plea from its police and crime commissioner.

The Norfolk Police and Crime Panel agreed to increase the policing element of council tax by the maximum amount.

Lorne Green carried out a public consultation asking taxpayers to consider an increase ranging from 15p to 46p per week for more officers.

The Norfolk PCC said it would also be spent on more drones, tasers and number plate recognition techniques.

He said to expect "more technology to make our police force not just greater in numbers but more efficient".

PA Police officer firing a TaserPA
Norfolk Police's chief constable has previously pledged that all officers will have stun guns by 2020

More than 1,100 respondents took part in the survey and about two-thirds said they were prepared to pay more tax in 2019-20, according to Mr Green.

Half of the police's funding comes from central government.

Chief Constable Simon Bailey
Chief Constable Simon Bailey said the extra funding would let him put more officers on the beat

Ch Con Simon Bailey said he was "truly pleased the panel had listened to the arguments this morning".

He added the increase meant he could now raise the numbers of officers by 40 to 1550 which was "the highest number it's been in a number of years".

But on social media Mr Green tweeted that despite the increase the chief constable still had millions of pounds of savings to make.

"It doesn't remove all financial pressures," he added.