London tax rise to boost policing

The mayor had to reduce his original proposals

Londoners will pay an extra £51 a year to pay for an extra 1,200 police officers.

Mayor Ken Livingstone delivered his final budget proposals to the London Assembly after negotiating a deal with its Labour group.

The increase, which amounts to 97p a week for people in band D properties, is £32.2m less than he had asked for in his draft budget in January.

Transport for London is likely to bear the brunt of the reduction, with proposals to reduce its share by £28m.

Government grants

Mr Livingstone says 75% of the increase will pay for 1,200 more police officers and 160 community support officers by March 2004.

London Fire Brigade would also receive £11m to help prepare against any terrorist strike.

It means the Greater London Authority's (GLA) slice of residents' council tax, rises by 29% to £224 for the average household. This is £100 a year more than when the GLA was created.

Council tax is also expected to rise to over £1,000 a year in several boroughs as local authorities say they need more money to make up for a drop in government grants.

Police numbers could increase to over 30,000

Council tax is also expected to rise to over £1,000 a year in several boroughs as local authorities say they need more money to make up for a drop in government grants.

But Mr Livingstone said: "This (extra police) is at the top of Londoners' priorities and I believe they will be prepared to pay the additional 97p per week for this vital investment in making London a safer city."

Sally Hamwee, of the assembly's Liberal Democrat group, said the budget could have been cut further if Mr Livingstone reduced his "personal promotion".

She said: "I'm talking about his newsletter, he is going to have a party to 're-introduce' Trafalgar Square to Londoners and there are nine separate press operations at Transport for London.

"That sort of thing irritates people."