INCREASES to council tax bills in Worcester have been finalised after the city council agreed a 2.5 per cent rise in its demands.

The rise - which means the average home will spend just under £4 a month more for city council services - means overall bills for households will go up by 7.79 per cent in Worcester.

That means Band D properties face bills of £1,156.58, a sum that includes larger increases agreed by Worcestershire County Council, West Mercia Police authority and the Hereford and Worcester fire authority.

The city's spending plans were agreed last night in a fractious meeting at The Guildhall as councillors fired the first serious salvos ahead of this summer's local election.

Council leader, Stephen Inman hailed the budget and said it fulfilled his cabinet's desire to maintain frontline services while working with available income.

He again attacked the Government's "derisory" handout and warned that had the authority not made savings in the past two years - which amount to around £2.2m - that council tax would have gone up by 54 per cent.

But Councillor Adrian Gregson, leader of the opposition Labour group, dismissed the plans and accused the cabinet of concentrating on the city centre and ignoring neighbourhoods.

"It's a budget which in my view is bland, myopic and selfish. It looks after Tory friends and lets the rest of the city look after itself," said Coun Gregson.

"How does it make Worcester a great place to live with litter in the streets? How does it make it great to visit with more traffic on the roads? I've never known a less attractive Worcester to live and work."

Coun Liz Smith, the Liberal Democrat group leader, had fears that congestion in the city may increase in the city centre.

Councillors also spoke up in favour of investigating powers they have to introduce on-the-spot fines for litter louts in a bid to support their plans to introduce more bins and extra collections.