Police tax bills are set to rise by more than the inflation rate - but Sussex should see more bobbies on the beat.

The Sussex Police Authority has agreed a budget of £231 million, putting average household taxes up by £5.20 a year or just under 5 per cent.

This year's increase is almost 1.25 per cent above the current inflation rate.

Last year, the police tax increased by 7.5 per cent but even with the latest rise the demand on Sussex householders remains one of the lowest in England and Wales.

Authority members voted unanimously for this year's increase, stressing it amounted to just 10p per week more for a typical Band D council taxpayer.

It will bring the annual police tax bill to £110.25.

The authority said the budget will provide an extra police officer in each of the 43 neighbourhood policing teams in Sussex.

A spokeswoman said: "The budget will enable the force to continue to support and train Police Community Support Officers.

"There are now 200 in Sussex, more than in any other county force."

Some rank and file officers fear Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) may be given extra powers in the near future, something they claim amounts to "policing on the cheap".

But Chief Constable Ken Jones is a great supporter of PCSOs.

He said: "They reinforce, not replace other methods of policing and they enable officers to do their job better."

A report to the Sussex Police Authority showed regular police spend less than a quarter of their time on front-line duties.

Mark Dunn, authority chairman, said: "We have agreed a budget that will see real improvements in policing and making Sussex safer.

"To deliver these further improvements at a cost of only 10p a week extra is a real achievement."