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WHEN is an increase of around 10 per cent in police authority tax bills really a rise of under five per cent? Answer: when you hear from Coun Dave McLuckie, chairman of Cleveland Police Authority.

In an interview with the D&S Times he talked of a 4.4 per cent "rise in budget." But council taxpayers in Redcar and Cleveland borough, which stretches from South Bank to Loftus, have just spotted in their tax bills that the police element of the 2008-9 tax has risen by either 10 per cent or just under it, depending on the house-valuation band.

Coun McLuckie, a Labour member with the council, said the rise was mainly 9.97 per cent - "not 10 per cent" - for most taxpayers in the borough. He added that the 9.97 per cent tax increase was a "4.4 per cent rise in budget." Spectator hopes readers are still with him at this point.

Coun McLuckie was asked about the possibility that the Government might cap the increase. "The cap is five per cent (rise in budget totals) and I don't think that will happen," he replied before going on to defend the increase.

"No-one is ever happy with any rise, but our budget is extremely good value for money. It works out at 23p a week for a Band B taxpayers, who make up 90 per cent of the borough," he said.

"We've only had two letters of complaint. The vast majority of people at our six public consultation meetings felt the rise was acceptable for the improvements in service - 23p to make sure we continue to have police officers on the street."

Coun McLuckie, of Skelton, added that most people liked the newstyle neighbourhood policing methods brought in by Chief Constable Sean Price.

More figures: a police authority spokesman said the force had 1,727 police officers, 755 civilian staff, 197 community support officers, 185 unpaid special constables and 7.5 police authority staff.

That's a total of 2,871.5 people.

The average cost per head - total spent on employees is £113m - is over £39,000, including allowances like the much-envied police pension provision. Spectator wonders how much the half' staffer gets paid.

Cleveland's police officers get an average pre-tax pay packet of nearly £34,000 a year.

How sincere?

THE parish council of Osmotherley kindly sent Spectator a copy of its admirable and most thorough response to the Post Office's suggesting their branch should be closed and replaced with an "outreach service".

It certainly convinced Spectator and by the Post Office's response we shall surely judge the sincerity of its "consultation".

12:06pm Friday 28th March 2008

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