Herefordshire Council's cabinet has supported a 10.4% rise in council tax.

Council tax on Band D properties in Hereford-shire will increase from £925 to £972, if the full council supports the 10.4% rise on March 5.

The council's treasurer, Ian Hyson, recognised the proposed increase was relatively high and more than the council would have liked.

"However, more than 3% of the rise is as a consequence of staggering last year's increase by using some of the council's limited reserves.

"Herefordshire is in a similar position to a majority of other local authorities which are looking at rises above inflation," he said.

"The expectation by Central Government that local authorities should limit tax increases by 5% is impossible when they are faced with significant and unavoidable demands on service budgets."

Herefordshire Council spends 50% of its budget on education and 20% on social care.

Mr Hyson added: "With these spending pressures, and in lieu of Government meeting the shortfall, it is completely unrealistic to expect authorities to restrict tax rises to the rate of inflation.

"Nationally, local authorities are facing an average rise of around 7%. Herefordshire would also have been very much in line with this 7% rise if it had not been for the 3% rise deferred from last year."