Taxpayers will now pay £10 more than what they did last year to support more policing across Hertfordshire.

The county’s police and crime commissioner David Lloyd proposed to increase council tax to support Hertfordshire’s police force, which was agreed at the Police and Crime Panel last Thursday at Broxbourne Borough Council office.

It means Band D property owners will now pay £198 a year, which equates to 83p per month more than the last year.

Plans for the increase were put forward following a consultation in which 65 per cent of people said they wanted to pay more to support extra policing in the county.

Now that the plans have been given the go ahead, Hertfordshire is on course to have 2,100 officers by the end of the forthcoming financial year, the highest level in a decade.

Numbers are then set to increase to 2,314 officers, the highest number ever, by the end of March 2023.

The highest level of police officers across Hertfordshire in the last 20 years was in 2007 when there were 2,202.

Mr Lloyd said: “This is a transformational budget for policing – in simple terms there will be more officers on the streets of Hertfordshire.

“I represent the people of Hertfordshire, and when the people were asked if they supported an increase in the precept for this aim, they overwhelmingly gave their support.”

“It is a collective investment from local tax payers and central government towards giving Hertfordshire the largest constabulary we have ever had.”

Mr Lloyd added: “Unlike other parts of the country the boost in officers is not just replacing officers who were lost in recent cuts, as in Hertfordshire, even during the austerity times, police officers were maintained at broadly the same level.

“Now we are going to have a substantially larger force and it is vital that it is properly resourced. It is appropriate that local tax payers make a contribution to this investment.

“The increase of the precept by £10-a-year for the average Council Tax payer, will support the hundreds of extra officers for years to come; at £198 per annum this still represents excellent value.

“They need to be provided with the very best equipment, training and facilities and to enable them to protect the public and keep crime low.”

An extra £16m will be invested in Hertfordshire Police this year, with the precept increase generating £5.8m, and uplifted core government grants providing an extra £10.7m.

The precept pays for 42 per cent of Hertfordshire Constabulary’s 20/21 budget, generating £90.5. million. The other 58 per cent comes from central government grants.

The amount of tax you pay to your borough and county council will also rise for the next financial year.