Worthing's tax bills could soar by up to 13 per cent from April, a top council boss says.

Borough treasurer Colin Smith issued the warning to councillors meeting today to discuss the town's finances.

He said the average band D taxpayer might have to fork out an extra £85 a year.

Worthing's standard spending assessment for 2002-03 has been set provisionally at £11.2 million, a 6.3 per cent increase on this year's figure.

It is the amount the Government expects Worthing to spend next year.

Mr Smith said it was a seemingly generous assessment but it had not been matched by an equivalent increase in Government funding.

He said Worthing would probably receive £188,000 less than it should and he warned council tax might have to go up by between nine and 13 per cent.

For a band D taxpayer, that is equivalent to 32p a week, or £16.64, a year to meet the borough's bill alone.

It does not take into account any increases imposed by West Sussex County Council and Sussex Police Authority, which account for 85 per cent of the total charge.

Mr Smith said the council could draw on reserves to keep the increase to nine per cent.

But he warned: "The council's reserves now are pretty thin. There isn't a lot left in the coffers."

Mr Smith said the borough's finances had been affected by the continuing fall in income from the council's investments.

Insurance costs had also risen by £73,000 following the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington on September 11.

In October, councillors voted themselves a pay rise of more than 100 per cent, increasing the allowances paid to them by £80,000 a year.

Councillor Steven Waight, the borough council's executive member for resources, said Worthing had been short-changed.

He said: "Worthing will have no choice but to ask our council taxpayers to make up the shortfall.

"It is bitterly disappointing after the immense effort this council has made in recent months to make savings and draw up a reasonably balanced budget."