Chief constable Sean Price is recruiting 200 extra officers

Cleveland Police Authority has approved in principle plans by Chief Constable Sean Price to put 200 extra police and community support officers on the streets.

The decision will put an extra �20-a-year on the council tax bill of every household.

The move follows a 25% increase in April this year and a 38% increase in 2001 on the police element of council tax bills.

The Cleveland force is under pressure to improve its performance, after being criticised in a government inspector's report.

For the first time ever, the public will be able to see where their extra cash has gone Cleveland chief constable Sean Price

The report said the force was "overwhelmed" by the level of drug crime and was failing to attend some 999 calls in time.

But Mr Price says the extra cash will "produce dividends for everyone".

He said: "We are putting the people of Cleveland first. This increase in the precept will put 200 extra officers into the front-line battle against crime.

"It means we will have almost 2,000 people in uniform, patrolling the streets in the Cleveland area.

"For the first time ever the public will be able to see where their extra cash has gone. There will be extra officers out there, on their streets, patrolling their areas."

Mr Price said he recognised that some people may question and object to the increased precept, but he stressed the force was also committed to making savings of �2m from within its existing budget to help finance the new officers.

Police authority chairman, Councillor Ken Walker, said the increase in the police element of the council tax equated to about 6p a day for a household in a band A property.