A TAX rise of almost five per cent is likely for council taxpayers in Warrington from April.

Members of the executive agreed the increase, which will cost an average of £50 a year for people living in band D properties, on Monday night.

The hike has been proposed to help fill a budget blackhole at the Town Hall.

The rise would equate to 92p each week and £47.88 for the average, band D council taxpayer.

Although it is less than the rise originally proposed in January.

Full council will now have to ratify the increase at its next meeting next month.

All parish councils have now agreed their rises for the next year. Lymm levying the biggest increase of 30 per cent and Woolston the least with a cut of almost 19 per cent.

Cheshire Police has yet to announce the scale of the rise in its precept