COUNCIL tax payers in Middlesbrough could be about £23 a month worse off from April because of the urgent need to invest more in the town's social services.

Budget forecasts suggest an average band D householder will have to pay an extra £132 a year more.

The increase comes as more children are being taken into care, more people with mental and physical disabilities need support, and more elderly people need care.

There are about 114,000 people in residential care homes, which cost about £300 per person each night to cover round- the-clock care along with meals and accommodation.

Since last March the number of elderly people who need extensive care in their own home has risen by 84 per cent, while home visits from care nurses has increased by 57 per cent.

"This is all do with the fact that people are living longer and there are more elderly people who are around and therefore need help," said social services portfolio holder Councillor Brenda Thompson, of Middlesbrough Council.

The number of children being taken into care has risen by 60 per cent in the past four years and up to last March more than 250 youngsters were in foster homes in the Middlesbrough area.

Coun Thompson said: "There is not the same kind of family support that there used to be, and people are less likely to have their families round the corner so it falls to us to help out, but it all costs a lot of money.

"We are working with everyone we can, such as the Government and their agencies, to help them understand about the deprivation issues in Middlesbrough."

"On top of these pressures we also have a lot of people who suffering from a range of complex issues such as mental and physical impairment and we are currently helping 40 autistic children in the town."

Mayor Ray Mallon said the situation was so bad the department was haemorrhaging money, and unless something was done it would start to affect other services.

He said council tax might have to rise by as much as 15 per cent to cover the cost of the £1.5m required by social services and £1.4m needed to cover pay increases in the coming financial year, but pledged to do what he could to reduce the necessary rise.