HAMPSHIRE councillors have backed an increase in council tax to make up the police’s budget cuts.

They supported Commissioner Simon Hayes’ proposal for a 1.99 per cent rise to raise £25m for the cash-strapped force.

This will £3.07 a year for an average Band D household and comes into effect in April.

The motion was passed by 12 votes to six.

Hampshire Constabulary has been told to cut a further £25m by April 2016 having already slashed £55m since 2010.

Cuts have meant 1,400 jobs have been lost across the county.

Last Friday Mr Hayes told the Police and Crime Panel in Winchester: “It’s about supporting fewer officers to do their job to protect people across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight because that’s what people want.”

Mr Hayes said the force needed to become more efficient and as an example highlighted the increase use of body-worn cameras.

He wanted to play footage of a PC wearing a camera being assaulted but technical difficulties prevented the screening.

“You would’ve seen her hitting her head against the pavement, you might’ve thought she had died,” Mr Hayes said. “She put her body and her life between a criminal and a member of the public. We, as the public of Hampshire and Isle of Wight, need to fund that service.

“I think that £3.07 a year is not too much to pay. I do think it’s critically important to maintain that service if we’re going to ask people to put their lives on the line to protect us.”

County councillor Adrian Collett said: “I think that the Police Crime Commissioner and the constabulary are doing everything they can to drive down costs.”