Herefordshire Council says it needs to cut services by up to £5 million next year and is asking residents to help decide where the axe should fall.

The cuts should prevent the council being capped by the Government twice in two financial years.

The authority says £2m could be saved by eliminating waste and unnecessary bureaucracy, while education and social care provision are likely to remain untouched.

Council leader Roger Phillips said: "Sadly, though, we can't do everything. We have to make tough choices. But before we make them. We want your views about what's most important to families and communities. Our top priorities so far have been to enable schools to keep on improving their performance and to protect the most vulnerable people in the county. Continuing to do this will require savings in other services."

Council spokesman John Burnett said cuts would take place to ensure "a low, single figure rise" in Council Tax next year, in line with Government expectations.

Coun Phillips said: "For local authorities as a whole, the Government has announced that there will be no extra money next year. Although we haven't yet been told exactly what this means for Herefordshire, if the council carries on with the present levels of services, operated in the way they are now, there is likely to be a gap of £4m or £5m.

"It's the council's responsibility to make the final, difficult decisions. But we can't do this without hearing what people want."

The public consultation will continue into November. This will involve questionnaires in libraries and one-stop shops, a questionnaire on the council's website at www.herefordshire.gov.uk and special meetings of the Local Area Forum next month.

There will also be a representative survey of 500 households across the county.