Assistant Chief Constable Clive Wolfendale is encouraged

Senior officers said some people were willing to pay much more.

A further survey of 3,000 residents is now being carried out in time for a meeting of the police authority, which will decide how much money each council should collect for extra policing.

Assistant Chief Constable Clive Wolfendale welcomed the initial findings.

"For some years now people have been telling us that what they want to see from the police are uniformed officers - highly visible, reassuring and preventing crime in their communities.

"We listen to that, we understand it and we're trying to respond.

People want to see more bobbies on the beat

"What they're also saying to us is that they like the way North Wales Police is doing its business, is being managed, and that they have some confidence that we can deliver those services."

However the Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, said central government should provide any extra money needed.

Spokesman Phil Edwards said they were also concerned about the way North Wales officers were deployed.

"We've got more police officers in North Wales now than we've ever had," he said.

"But there are still fewer walking the streets than there were ten or fifteen years ago."

The force currently employs 1,500 officers including 1,200 constables.

It is the largest number it has ever had, but is still lower per head of population than other Welsh police forces.

An additional 100 officers are already being recruited by the end of the year in an attempt to relieve the pressure on existing staff.

But the force is hopeful that local councillors will agree to at least an extra 10p a week on council tax bills to pay for a further 36 officers.