POLICE and crime commissioner Bill Longmore wants to increase his portion of the council tax two per cent in April, claiming a bum deal from the Government with funding falling £600,000 short.

But I wouldn't get out the violins for our erstwhile copper just yet.

Bill, who has a frankly incredible £55 million in reserve, stands in line to grab £6 million of extra taxes from householders to help shore things up.

He's taken the term 'plugging the gap' all too literally, eh?

* MIND you Conservative John Campion, the man trying to become the region's new PCC in May, isn't faring much better in this game of farcical poker that council tax setting has now become.

Upon hearing of Bill's proposal he rushed out a press release castigating his rival for "dodging tough decisions" and "letting taxpayers foot the bill".

What it didn't mention was that Councillor Campion is helping whack up council tax four per cent at County Hall, which will have a far more drastic impact on Joe Public as it controls 72 per cent of the bill.

Surely some mistake!

* THE county council may have appeared a rudderless ship for the last three weeks after Adrian Hardman's long exit as leader, but some councillors have made the most of this odd period in its history.

Seizing on the temporary limbo, Labour group chairman Councillor Richard Udall parked his car in the leader's space on Wednesday.

"There wasn't a leader around, so I thought why not," he says.

* THERE'S much gossip around County Hall about how Labour group leader Peter McDonald will approach new leader Simon Geraghty in the chamber. Will it be the old attack dog spirit or can we expect calmer waters?

Councillor McDonald, who has given nothing away, said: "He speaks very nice - his mum must love him."

* GEORGE Osborne is looking remarkably thin these days, and Worcester's MP knows why.

Robin Walker, who had a meeting with him this week, tells us the Chancellor's "on the 5.2 diet", a brutal regime forcing him to live off 600 calories two days a week.

"It's a pretty severe approach," he says.

Meet the austerity fridge.