Households across the area will see their council tax go up in April after county bosses announced a 1.99 per cent rise in their share of the bill.

A typical ‘band D’ home will now pay £1,161.27 for Devon County Council services – up £22.68 on last year.

The authority says that the increase will bring in an extra £6.2million, which will be used to help safeguard services like school lollipop patrols and extra winter road gritting.

Council leader John Hart said: “This budget is framed to protect statutory services for the most vulnerable in the county.

“Our finances are stretched and we will need all the people in the county to work with us in community activities to deliver some or all of the services that we will no longer be able to provide.”

East Devon District Council has already announced it will not increase its share of the bill, with a band D home continuing to pay £121.78.