Dartmouth Town Council is demanding the second highest council tax increase in the whole of the South Hams.

Average taxpayers in Dartmouth will see the town's share of their tax bill jump from £46.85 a year to £61,34

That represents a 20 per cent increase in the council precept – the amount of cash the council wants to spend in the coming financial year – which will be going up by £26,997 – from £134,200 in this financial year to £161,197 in the next.

The Dartmouth increase is well above the other towns in the district where the Totnes increase amounts to 14 per cent, the Kingsbridge increase amounts to 11 percent, Ivybridge is only eight percent and Salcombe is a tiny one percent.

In fact, the average increase among all 61 of the town and parish council tax increases is 4.8 percent.

Some parishes refused to put their parish precept up at all this year.

The only one to top Dartmouth was the parish of Ringmore which slapped a 25 per cent increase on its precept – which equates to a rise of £884 to just £4,384.

When the county council, district council, police fire authority and parish demands are added together the Dartmouth band D average taxpayer will have to fork out £1,522.29 in the coming year.

Devon County Council is asking for £1,116.36, which is no increase on last year.

South Hams Council wants a £162.69 slice of the tax cake which is a £3.19 or two per cent rise.

The police are demanding £75.39 – an increase of £1.47 or 1.9 per cent.

The fire service wants £43.59 – an increase of 4.8 per cent.