Members of Derbyshire Police Authority agreed to a budget for 2009/10 of £165,072,871 at a meeting on Thursday.

This equates to a 4.99 per cent budget rise and an 8.68 per cent precept rise – an extra 25 pence a week for people living in a band D property.

Whilst the budget is above the rate of inflation, members of the Police Authority agreed that due to the operational and financial pressures faced by the force, the budget is in effect a standstill position.

Derbyshire remains one of the lowest funded forces in the country and still loses £5m a year as a result of the national police funding formula not being fully implemented.

Chief Constable Mick Creedon said: "I am pleased that the Police Authority has realised the real operational risks to the county and the gaps we face because of our funding position. We have a duty to provide the best possible policing service for everyone and to protect the vulnerable members of our communities.

"Some may view the settlement as over-generous but it has to be set in the context of long term under funding and the comparatively low levels of resources in the force. What this settlement does do is allow us to maintain policing as it is now and I am determined to drive on with more efficiencies to further improve the organisation."