Medway's council tax payers can expect to pay 4.99 per cent more when the new bills are delivered early next month.

It means band D householders will pay £4.34 a month more than at present, bringing the average annual bill up to £1093.50.

But Medway still has one of the lowest council taxes in the country.

The 4.99 per cent figure keeps the increase just a fraction below the Government capping point of five per cent.

If the increase had been above five per cent, the Government might have stepped in to order reductions in services to cut costs.

Cllr Alan Jarrett, the council's finance portfolio holder, said:" No service cuts are being made but we now know we have to find £4.8m savings next year."