A budget to help put more bobbies on the beat has been approved.

Surrey Police Authority on Monday approved a 2.41 per cent hike in the police's share of council tax to help pay for up to 200 more police across the county.

Speaking at the authority's budget meeting at Mole Valley District Council's Pippbrook headquarters, Mark Rowley, Surrey Police chief constable, said: "The purpose of what we are doing is about increasing the strength and visibility of local policing.

"The plans we are coming up with are intending to increase the budget available for up to 200 extra constables over the next two years.

"One hundred of these will be deployed in visible foot patrol capacity in neighbourhoods."

For a Band D property the new precept represents an annual increase of £4.68, from £193.86 to £198.54.

Surrey Police's net budget for the year will increase by 2.8 per cent to £202.7million.

It comes after the Government twice capped the authority's budget. Last year it was forced to re-bill council taxpayers after its 7.07 per cent budget increase was capped.

Peter Williams, Chairman of Surrey Police Authority said setting the budget was a "challenging" task.

He said: "The last two years have seen us capped twice and forced to cut posts from across the organisation.

"Our low level of Government funding compared to other forces and subsequent reliance on our share of the council tax means that we would face a high risk of cuts and capping every year if we were to remain on the same trajectory."