DUDLEY borough's police commissioner is asking for extra cash from householders to avoid a "payday loan" from the government.

West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Bob Jones is seeking to increase the policing element of council tax bills, called the precept, from £99.45 to £102.43 a year for a band D property.

Mr Jones, who has rejected freezing the precept and taking a government grant equivalent to a one per cent rise, says his hike would cost the average household five pence per week.

He added: “The government’s offer is little more than a payday loan, just putting off the difficult decisions for a short while, and not addressing the underlying problems. This modest proposed increase is a sound and sustainable approach to ensuring effective and efficient policing in the West Midlands."

Mr Jones, who is paid £100,000 per year and has recently appointed Yvonne Mosquito as his deputy on £65,000 per year, says the extra cash from taxpayers will pay for civilian staff which will free up 100 officers for frontline duty.

He is also setting up a new Strategic Policing and Crime Board which he says will cost around £40,000 less than the former Police Authority, which was abolished to make way for the commissioner, his deputy and the crime board.

Mr Jones said: "A PCC working alone, or even with a deputy, is not the best way to effectively engage and represent all the diverse areas of the West Midlands.

"There need to be links to each area, to ensure that the police are efficient and effective, that the right strategic direction is in place, and that the chief constable is held to account."