Police chiefs voted through a £325 million budget for the Thames Valley last week, and have pledged to improve their track record. The rise works out as an extra £5 on annual council tax bills.

In West Berkshire, violent disorder went up 30% in just 18 months. Elsewhere, sex attacks in the Newbury area rose 15%, and house burglaries by 32%. However, drug-dealing, racial attacks, and bag snatches were all down substantially.

Despite record police numbers, almost four out of five West Berkshire crimes are never solved, so the force is keen to rebuild relationships with neighbourhoods, as well as relying more on special constables and civilian police.

Chief Constable Peter Neyroud said: “The force has made considerable improvements in its service delivery over the past year, and I am proud to say that there are now more officers on the streets of Thames Valley than ever before.

“This budget allows me to ensure we continue to engage with the public through our commitment to neighbourhood policing, while providing visible reassurance to communities and tackling anti-social behaviour and violent crime.”

The force raised an extra £12 million for this financial year, and the extra £14 million from April will allow CC Neyroud to train another armed response team, after criticisms over police arrival times in recent shootings at Hermitage and Henley.

Other measures include more fingerprinting and DNA staff to take samples from those detained, new methods for tackling domestic violence, and more civilians to take on the form-filling when someone spends a night in the cells.

Although West Berkshire Council makes up 80 per cent of tax bills, police, fire and parish levies are added to give the final bill.