DURHAM Police and Crime Commissioner Ron Hogg wants to raise the police precept by 7.09 per cent (HAS, Jan 11).

He claims Cllr Shuttleworth misunderstands the situation but I would suggest that he and the members of the Police and Crime Panel misunderstand a financial situation which has prevailed over the ordinary public for the last few years.

There has been a period of austerity, of stagnant incomes with few pay increases, and more people in poverty with food banks becoming the norm.

With an income likely in excess of £100,000, Mr Hogg can well afford the increase he seeks and no doubt those on the Police and Crime Panel are also financially well placed, but to those living a hand to mouth existence, any increase, however small, is an increase too far.

A survey produced by Durham County Council in 2014 revealed 50 per cent of the county’s population lived in deprived areas and no doubt that percentage has increased since that date. Organisations like Citizens Advice are seeing a large increase in those with finance and debt problems where every day costs are rising against no increase in income.

While I accept Mr Hogg’s statement on the failure of the Government to fund policing in a fair manner, by the same token why does he consider the Durham taxpayers to be fair game for a 7.09 per cent increase.

Let me remind Mr Hogg and the panel that some years ago when the council was closing care homes and cutting other public services due to reduced funding cuts from central government, the council managed to use a few million of taxpayers money to aid the ailing finances of Durham County Cricket Club.

In the context that funding the police may be a little more important to the public than cricket, I suggest Mr Hogg approaches the council to release some of the large amount held in the council’s reserves to meet his requirements.

Alan Thompson, Middleton in Teesdale