PLANS to fund more than half of a planned £970m police funding boost with cash from the public have been met with criticism.

Policing Minister Nick Hurd revealed the latest financial settlement for police forces across the country, with next year's central grant funding allocation to Lancashire increasing by £6.8 million.

But whilst the police and crime commissioner Clive Grunshaw welcomed any additional grant, he said it does not even cover the increase to employer pension contributions for policing, announced in September.

The real world consequences of dealing with this pensions deficit is forecast to cost police in Lancashire around £7.1m per year from 19/20 – the equivalent to over 150 police officers.

The government also announced greater flexibility for increasing the council tax precept which contributes to police funding, up to £24 a year on a Band D equivalent property.

Mr Grunshaw said: "Through this announcement the government has once again failed to provide additional money towards front line policing, with any additional money from central government covering the costs of the unfunded increase in police pensions, which undermined all previous planned budget assumptions."

"Once again the government has passed the buck onto council tax payers and failed to address the concerns raised up and down the country that after eight years of budget cuts, removing £84m – equivalent to over 25 per cent of the budget in 2010/11 - from policing in Lancashire with a further £18m still to find over the next few years.

"The ability to invest in our policing teams and meet the pressures on the service is completely reliant on raising council tax by the highest amount we can.

"The government know this and once again are failing to be honest with the public, failing to address the actual cause which is years of austerity in policing.

"This announcement, whilst on the face of it a step in the right direction, doesn't come close to addressing the issues faced by Lancashire police after cutting too far and too fast for the last seven years."

Unveiling the provisional funding settlement of up to £14 billion for 2019/20, home secretary Sajid Javid said demand pressures on police had risen this year as a result of "changing crime".

He said: "Since becoming Home Secretary I have been clear I would prioritise police funding, and today I have delivered on that promise.

"Taken together, this substantial increase in police funding will enable forces to continue recruiting, fill crucial capability gaps such as in detectives, meet their genuine financial pressures, drive through efficiency programmes, and improve their effectiveness by preventing crime and delivering better outcomes for victims of crime."

While most police force funding comes directly from central government, around 30% is drawn from council tax through the policing precept levy.

Under the provisional settlement announced on Thursday, police and crime commissioners have been given the green light to ask for an additional £2 a month per band D household.

If all PCCs take up the option, this would generate around £510 million in additonal funding, the Home Office said.

The rest of the proposed year-on-year increase is comprised of a £59 million rise in counter-terrorism funding, a £161 million increase in general government grants, £153 million to help meet increased pension costs, and £90 million earmarked for capabilities to tackle serious and organised crime.