WORCESTER residents look likely to pay an extra £6.27 a year for services after Worcester City Council's cabinet approved a rise of 4.34 per cent for 08/09.

However, in real terms bills will rise by an average of £55 because of similar additional hikes from the police and fire authorities and the potential for the same level of rise by Worcestershire County Council.

Members of the city's council's cabinet agreed the rise at a meeting on Tuesday.

The final decision will be made by the full council next week.

Today, tax payers in Worcestershire were also told they will have to fork out an extra £3.20 a year, based on a Band D property, to pay for the fire and rescue service.

Members of Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Authority (FRA) met and approved a 4.92 per cent rise in its precept for 2007/08.

It means council tax payers in Band D will pay an extra 6p a week for the service, taking the total up to £68.21 a year.

Mike Weaver, treasurer, told authority members the rise was necessary because of a shortfall in government funding.

"If I'm being charitable the government's financial settlement has increased by one per cent," he said.

"But in reality the increase is just £2,000 a year, or 0.2 per cent."

Mr Weaver said this was in stark contrast to neighbouring Shropshire, where the government had increased its settlement by six per cent.

The authority approved a net budget requirement of £29.311m for the coming years but said this figure would not allow any capacity for improved flooding response, extending supplementary crews or progression of national projects.

The authority is also being required to make £1.275m worth of efficiency savings over the next three years, something it is now looking at ways of achieving.

Yesterday, we reported how the police precept will also rise by 4.94 per cent, which amounts to an increase of £7.79 a month for Band D properties.

Worcestershire County Councillors will meet tomorrow to decide what rise they will approve. The county council's precept accounts for almost three quarters of the final bills.