Council tax payers in Wycombe will have to fork out an extra 4.3 per cent from April.

The final bill - an extra £57 a year for the average band D ratepayer - was agreed by Wycombe District Council tonight.

Tax payers in the town centre, for example, will be paying £1,360.39 for services such as the police, fire brigade, schools and rubbish collection.

The payments differ slightly according to the parish residents live in.

Wooburn homeowners, for example, in a band D property will pay £1,393.56 - one of the highest council tax bills in the district.

The district council's share of the final bill - about 10 in every pound - is to go up by 3.2 per cent members agreed tonight.

Council leader Councillor Lesley Clarke said 0.7 per cent of the 3.2 per cent increase was down to central Government demanding some services from the authority such as recycling and free bus passes.

She said: "Our commitment to the electorate last year was to keep council tax at or below inflation. In previous years we have managed to keep increases down to 2.5 per cent.

"We have almost managed this again."

From the £1,360.39 residents are being asked to pay out, WDC is receiving £120.94; Buckinghamshire County Council will get the lions share with £1,018.91 - a 4.5 per cent increase from last year.

Thames Valley Police will receive £144.76 and Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service will net £54.95.

The rest of it will go towards parish and town council funding and WDC's special expenses.

South Bucks District Council and Chiltern District Council are expected to announce their council tax rates in next few days.