PROPOSALS to put more police on the beat in Cleveland have been welcomed by Middlesbrough Mayor Ray Mallon.

Chief Constable Sean Price wants to put a beat bobby in all 71 wards in the force area - triggering a 28 per cent increase in its £5.6m share of the council tax.

Mr Mallon said: "Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary described the service provided by Cleveland Police as not acceptable and said that drastic action was required immediately to correct the obvious failings.

"I recognise the proposed increase in council tax is substantial. But I regard this very much as a one-off increase in return for a further fall in crime."

Four Flying Squads, consisting of six constables and a sergeant with access to vehicles, will be set up to carry out anti-social behaviour patrols to tackle trouble hotspots as they emerge.

At a meeting of the Cleveland Police Authority, members yesterday gave approval in principle to the council tax increase.

Mr Price told committee members that the people of Cleveland wanted more police on the beat.

"Everybody deserves a minimum standard of policing," he said. "Everywhere I go within the force are people want more local contact, which is especially effective at combating anti-social behaviour."

But magistrate member Alf Illingworth was concerned about funding coming from the public.

"I am not against the proposal but we cannot just go to the public demanding money like in monopoly money as if it grew on trees," he said.

People living in a Band A property will be asked to pay 6p a day extra and those in a Band D property will pay around 10p a day more to fund 100 extra police officers and 100 more community support workers.