AN extra 115 police officers could be recruited by West Mercia Police in the next year if budget plans are approved.

Plans by the region's police and crime commissioner John Campion include raising council tax by almost 10 per cent to pay for the extra officers.

Latest figures show the number of West Mercia officers has dropped from 2,180 in 2012 to 1,916 in September this year – a fall of 12 per cent.

The extra 115 officers would return the number of bobbies on the beat in West Mercia to 2,150 – the same level as in 2012.

The move comes after Mr Campion announced 100 more officers would be in place by summer 2019.

Mr Campion said: "I have listened to feedback from our communities in West Mercia who have been very consistent: People want more police officers, and they want to see them out on the streets, tackling crime and keeping us safe. I believe my budget proposals deliver on that."

In his draft budget, Mr Campion said council tax would increase by 9.94 per cent next year – just shy of £20 a year per household for a band D property – followed by rises of 2.99 per cent every year from 2020.

The move is in response to the government giving permission to double the police’s portion of council tax bills in order to raise more funds for the force.

The officers would also be paid for through increased government funding which is set to rise by £2 million next year to £122.4 million – but that is the first time government grant money has increased in nine years.

West Mercia’s annual policing budget for next year is currently around £211 million. Around 57 per cent of this is made up of central grant funding with the remainder gathered through council tax.

Council tax payers will be asked if they want to increase the cost of their bill in return for more police on the beat and the draft budget consultation runs until January 20.

Mr Campion said his budget will also include £250,000 more to tackle rural crime.

Figures include in the draft budget show rural crime in West Mercia has increased by 42 per cent since April 2014.

The police and crime commissioner was forced to defend the police’s attitude to tackling rural crime after the force was accused of not taking the problem seriously.

During a grilling by councillors at a police and crime panel meeting, Councillor Sebastian Bowen from Herefordshire Council said the impression from the people of West Mercia was the police “do not care” about rural crime.

Extra officers would no doubt be welcomed by the force’s chief constable Anthony Bangham who admitted in November that West Mercia Police did not have enough staff to respond to every reported crime.