CASH-STRAPPED fire chiefs in Worcestershire have decided to push up council tax bills to grab an extra £264,000 towards the front line.

The fire authority has finalised a £32 million budget for 2015/16 which includes a rise of 1.9 per cent, the maximum allowed without holding a referendum, for the household bill from April.

Because the fire service only gets five per cent of the council tax cash, the increase will only add 6p per a week, or £1.44 a year, to the average band D home.

It comes on the back of the same percentage rise by Worcestershire County Council and West Mercia Police, which means the overall band D rate will rise around £23 a year, although the exact bandings will not be confirmed until after local authorities votes.

A new report on the 2015/16 fire service budget reveals how pressured the authority is, with a financial gap of £1.6 million opening up by 20171/8.

That will rise to around £3.3 million by 2020, according to in-house forecasts.

The report says the black hole can be closed by making savings "away from front line operational services", but it comes at a time when 55 jobs are being axed over the next five years.

Huge efforts are also ongoing to try and make more savings on staffing, including the option of career breaks for workers to take extended time off.

It has been revealed six employees have already requested time off, of between four and 36 months.

They are also looking at the possibility of secondments to West Midlands Ambulance Service, and more in-house job sharing.

Spending on the fire service in Herefordshire and Worcestershire will have to come down to around £30 million by 2019/20.

In 2016, the fire authority is expected to raid its reserves kitty - money stashed away for a rainy day - by £300,000, to ease the impact.

It was backed unanimously by the councillor-led fire authority.

Councillor Stephen Fry said: "We are absolutely right to increase council tax and I'm glad we've done that.

"A freeze would not have done this fire authority any good."

Councillor Richard Udall said: "Fire cuts cost lives but I'm glad action is being taken to minimise risk to the public.

"Bluntly, if Labour were in control (the fire authority is Tory-led) we'd put forward a similar budget."