VALE MP Alun Cairns has expressed anger at the Vale Council’s council tax increase proposal, saying the hike is “astonishing.”

Mr Cairns said the increase, of 3.9 per cent, is eight times the rate of inflation recorded by the Bank of England of 0.5 per cent in December 2015.

He criticised the council for not reassessing levels of spending before putting up bills, having previously called on the authority to freeze council tax.

He said the council had also refused to form a delegation to approach the finance minister in the Welsh Government for a fairer funding settlement.

Mr Cairns said: “I am alarmed that the local authority has raised council tax again this year, on top of the punishing increases in the last couple of years. Local residents will quite rightly be wondering where these increases end? We have had major increases since 2012, and now a further 3.9 per cent this year."

He added: “I have campaigned for many years for a fairer funding settlement for the Vale and I invite people again to sign up to my campaign. I am frustrated that residents living in the Vale have been hit again when many councils across Britain have frozen bills for several years.”

Barry Town Council last month decided not to raise its precept concluding that it had enough funds in its reserves ahead of the 2015/16 financial year.