BUDGET restrictions at the fire service mean large parts of Worcestershire and Herefordshire will be without new officers dedicated to the community.

Last year, the service proposed having nine Community Outreach Workers across the two counties but has now announced that the proposed budget for 2005/06 will pay for only three - to be based in north Worcestershire.

Band D taxpayers will pay £59.04 of their council tax, which is a 4.6 per cent increase on last year's figure.

Outgoing Chief Fire Officer David O'Dwyer said budget restrictions meant the brigade had to prioritise.

"The area where we have the largest problem and can make the biggest impact for community safety is in North Worcestershire, around Redditch and the Birmingham conurbation, and if we want to move forward, we have to use them where they are going to be most effective," he said. "It allows us to do more work but we are still some way away from where we hoped to be."

Vice-chairman of the fire authority, Herefordshire county councillor Godfrey Davis, said it was alarming the workers would not be in his county - nor in large parts of Worcestershire.

"This is the first time a cross-boundary argument has happened (in authority meetings)," he said.

"If something happens in Hereford - there are a lot of burnt out cars for example - it should be considered that someone is diverted there for a week or so."

Authority chairman Richard Udall said it was time to "break free" from Government capping, to ensure a "modern fire service".

Households in Worcestershire will face an average rise of just over £5 to £143.17 to fund the police in 2005/6.