COUNCIL taxpayers will have to find an extra £20 towards policing from April - on top of any rises agreed by local authorities.

Gwent Police Authority has put up its precept by almost 17 per cent, meaning householders living in Band D homes across Gwent will have to pay an average of £139.13 a year towards policing.

The extra funding will pay for the loss of a £395,000 Assembly grant which is not being continued this year, and increased services like:

* An extra 66 police officers dedicated to ward-based policing;

* Improved telephone communications between the public and the force;

* Additional resources for the Child Protection Units and the Domestic Violence Units;

* Increased forensic facilities which will assist in the detection of crime and the conviction of offenders.

Bryan Davies, Deputy Chief Constable of Gwent Police, said: "Gwent Police can now respond effectively to the expressed concerns of the community gathered during this year's public consultation process.

"The Force will now be able to employ 66 new officers who will be dedicated to ward-management duties.

"They will be working within the wards with other ward-based service providers in addressing local concerns."

Members of the police authority unanimously agreed the precept rise of 16.81 per cent. The increase follows a huge rise of 25.1 per cent last year, which meant taxpayers had to pay £119 - an extra £23.94 - on their bills.

Gwyn Eburne, the authority's Monmouthshire representative, said the main reason for the hike was that central government had cut its funding to police authorities - and they had to make up the shortfall with the precept.

"The government is giving us less so we have to make up the deficit. It is not anyone's fault locally," she said. "No one wants to see the council tax go up."

A report to the police authority said the proposals for the 66 additional officers reflected "the public's concern for increasing the number of police officers on patrol and for a reduction in anti-social behaviour".

We reported last year how Chief Constable Keith Turner wanted to put an extra 400 police officers on the beat to respond to the public's request for more bobbies on the beat and addressing alcohol-related crime and disorder.

Councillor Eburne said: "We all want to see more police officers, but we don't want to take any out of important areas such as drugs investigations or family welfare."