WILTSHIRE and Dorset households will pay an extra £1.36 a year towards the fire service from April.

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority has set a budget of £53.7 million for 2017/18, increasing its part of the council tax bill by almost 2 per cent.

The increase, decided at a meeting on Thursday, works out at 2.6p a week for the average property, resulting in a total payment of £70.59.

Chief fire officer Ben Ansell said the £70.59 Band D precept was "well below the national average", despite a 12.3 per cent cut in the service's budget, one of the largest funding reductions of all combined authorities.

"Despite that, we are investing even more in our on-call firefighters, who are so essential to maintaining fire cover in our predominantly rural areas," said Mr Ansell.

“Alongside this, we are completely committed to our prevention and protection activities, targeting those most at risk at home, at work or on the roads, and we will continue working with all our partners, with a focus this year on the new Safety Centre in Swindon, more Salamander courses, the Safe Drive Stay Alive programme for schools and the military. Together with local authorities and health partners, we will deliver a range of schemes that will positively benefit all of our communities.”

Cllr Rebecca Knox, chairman of Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority, said: “We have a fantastic fire and rescue service, and the Authority decision will ensure that the increased activity in prevention and protection such as Safe & Well visits, community safety education and partnerships with health can be strengthened. We deliver so much to our local communities, from a 24/7 emergency response to an ever increasing range of personal and business safety activities, and we are as committed as ever to investing in firefighter safety.”

Since the Dorset and Wiltshire services merged in April 2016, a new headquarters has opened at Fire Rivers in Salisbury, no fire stations or fire engines have been axed and more full-time firefighters have been recruited.

The combined service is one of the cheapest to run in the country.