Extra £30 wanted for NW Police

Mr Brunstrom has been attacked for his tough anti-speeding stance

People in north Wales could have to pay an extra £30 a year in council tax for police services.

Chief constable Richard Brunstrom has recommended that the police element of the tax demand should go up by 23%.

The recommendation will be discussed by the North Wales Police Authority on Friday.

But a critic of Mr Brunstrom, Holyhead deputy mayor Jeff Evans, described the proposed rise as scandalous.

If the increase is accepted, people in north Wales owning a property in the average bracket band D would pay £156.72 towards the police, compared with £126.94 last year.

Mr Brunstrom has said he needs to meet a budget requirement of £116m to maintain services at their current levels.

Councillor Jeff Evans says the police fail to respond to public need

He said he also needed to provide 30 more community beat managers and part-funding for another 12 community support officers.

Mr Brunstrom has argued that his proposal is made against the background of an impressive performance by the force across the board.

Mr Evans, who is taking legal action against Mr Brunstrom over what he claims is poor policing in the town, disagreed that the force was performing well and said the proposed increase "appals and disgusts me"

Mr Evans said the police precept was set to increase by 50% over the past four years.

"But the service hasn't improved, standards have gone down, so why should we continue to pay these amounts?"

"His management of the force should be that he runs it more efficiently within the funding he gets from the government," said Mr Evans.

He is suing the chief constable for just over £200 in the small claims court - the amount he has paid for policing in his council tax in the last two years.