Dartford and Gravesham residents will be expected to pay an extra £5 in council tax following the Kent and Medway Police and Crime Panel’s (KMPCC) decision to increase funds for Kent’s police.

KMPCC - which is responsible for holding the Kent Police and Crime Commissioner (KPCC) Ann Barnes to account - has agreed to the rise.

At a Maidstone meeting the KMPCC said the hike was necessary to raise an extra £2.9m for the force.

The average amount that a Kent family pays for policing through their council tax each year will increase to £152.15 from April.

KPCC Ann Barnes, who proposed the council tax precept, said: “The terrorist attacks in Paris last November were a game changer.

“The Home Secretary asked police forces across the country to increase their firearms capabilities by up to 50 per cent and £1.2m of the extra money will help pay for the extra officers Kent Police needs to do this.

“Money will still have to be found to recruit, train and equip them, though.”

The KMPCC agreed that it was necessary to raise an extra £2.9m for the force which is around £25 less than the average for England and Wales.

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Ann Barnes: 'The terrorist attacks in Paris last November were a game changer'

KMPCC Chairman, Mike Hill, said: “I find the case for increasing the precept by £5 compelling, and I’d like to congratulate the force for its good financial management.”

Mrs Barnes is allocating the rest of the money raised from the increase, plus £3.5m of Kent Police cash reserves, to offset some of the cuts the force will still have to make next year.

The police crime panel also discussed the need to place a greater emphasis on fighting child sexual exploitation, human trafficking and cyber-crime, as well as making a promise to continue to protect visible community policing and deliver a quality service for victims and witnesses.