ALTON householders will have to find an extra £145 to pay their council tax after final figures confirm that a 15.1 per cent increase is on the cards from April.

Hampshire County Council, East Hampshire District Council and Hampshire Police have published the figures which each believes needs to raised through the council tax.

This, on top of the town councilÕs precept, confirms fears over a huge hike in the overall bill.

If the figures are, as expected, agreed within the next few weeks the average Band D household will have a bill of £1,102.31 - an increase of £144.98 on the previous bill.

Hampshire County Council has put its share of the council tax cake up by 15 per cent to an average of £844.36 after its much-publicised Hands Off Hampshire campaign, to prevent the government from redistributing money from the south to the north, failed.

With a reduced grant from central government county council leaders have said that it had to find the shortfall somewhere else and put together a Òbudget for recoveryÓ in order to protect services and meet increased funding pressures.

The county council was dealt a further blow when it emerged this week that the government grant loss is around £48 million over the next three years - more than £3 million than was first thought.

Hampshire County Council leader Ken Thornber said: ÒAs we have been warning for many months, the government has taken vital funding away from Hampshire. They have left us no choice but to make up the devastating £48 million shortfall and avoid having to make any cuts to our excellent services.

ÒThis has been a heads they win, tails we lose argument. They take grant away from us to redistribute to the north and Midlands because we are unfairly deemed a rich area with high earners that can afford to pay higher council tax.

ÒHampshireÕs grant increase was already one of the lowest in the country at 3.8 per cent or £23 million. The government is directing us to spend an extra £26 million on the schools budget alone.

ÒThat leaves us with a £3 million deficit before we can even think about spending on social services and roads, let alone other inescapable costs from government such as the increase in employersÕ national insurance contributions in April, increases in landfill tax and Ôbed blockingÕ fines to be imposed on social services for not meeting targets to provide residential nursing care places for older people waiting to be discharged from hospital.

ÒWhile it is inconceivable that we would make any cuts to these vital services, we have not been complacent and efficiency savings have been made of £3.4 million across all services.

ÒThis has been the most difficult budget I have experienced in my 25 years on the county council. I hope that by planning for future years in this budget, we will not have to face such a dire situation again.Ó

Hampshire Police is also blaming the government after it increased its share of the council tax bill by 29.5 per cent to an average £97.29.

Chairman of the police authorityÕs financial affairs panel, Mike Attenborough-Cox, said: ÒWe will be recommending to the authority a rise in the council tax to make up for the government funding we did not receive. We needed seven per cent more, but received only three.

ÒPeople want to see more police officers, not less, so the only option in this financial situation was to increase the council tax to make up the shortfall.Ó

East Hampshire District Council bucked the trend of a huge increase despite the fact that it too suffered as a result of a lower-than-expected grant.

Its precept is set to rise by only 2.5 per cent to an average £117.18.

Council leader, Elizabeth Cartwright, said: ÒIÕm delighted that we have been able to keep the district councilÕs financial strategy on track.

ÒIf these recommendations are approved it will be the fourth time we have been able to peg council tax increases at the level of inflation while continuing to improve services and the level of sup port for initiatives put forward by local communitiesÓ.

Alton Town CouncilÕs already agreed precept also adds to the misery slapping an extra £43.48 on the final bill.