Taxpayers have been warned they could be asked to fork out DOUBLE the amount of cash they do at the moment to pay for policing in Essex.

At the moment, an average household pays £12 as part of the council tax precept.

The move would mean taxpayers' contribution would jump £24.

Roger Hirst, Police Fire and Crime Commissioner, who holds the purse strings for Essex Police, told the county’s crime panel at Essex County Council yesterday that he believes he will be given powers to order the increase on council tax bills next year when the government announces a settlement next week.

The Government Funding settlement for policing had been due to be announced before the debate on Brexit filled the parliamentary schedule.

Instead, it is due to be announced next week when the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is expected to give the green light to crime commissioners to double police precept for 2019/20, from £12 extra per band D household to £24.

Any budget proposals have to be passed by the crime panel.

Mr Hirst said: “I believe that forces will get more precept freedom, you probably saw in the press that the precept freedom will be doubled.

“So instead of £12 on a band D it will be £24 on a band D. In my dialogue with governmental authorities I have had no reason for me to disbelieve those reports.

“We know we need to deploy resources so I have asked the chief constable in his budget deliberations to at least do some scenario analysis as how we might effectively deploy that level of resource.”

The potential funding boost comes as the force, which has 3,000 officers, looks to boost police officers by another 150 next year.

Mr Hirst said ideally, being realistic, he would like to see as many as 3,250 officers.

He said: “We are now at 3,000 and when I come back to for the budget I’ll be able to give you a number for a further increase. I would really like to do the same again.

“And if we can do more and if we have freedom to do more, to be investing in crime prevention and getting crime and disorder down, that is where I’d like to be.”