Council tax payers in south Oxfordshire face a six per cent rise on their bills this year to pay for the district council's budget.

Finance committee chairman Dr Nick Hards said: "This will mean less than 6 a year on Band D properties and is a very modest increase."

The rise was criticised by Conservative members of the committee who voted against the 2,204,000 budget.

But when challenged, they refused to say how they would manage the money to cut both spending and the council tax increase.

Tory Rodney Mann told the ruling Liberal Democrats: "It is your job to put forward a budget, our task to scrutinise and criticise."

He said the six per cent rise was more than double the rate of inflation.

Hecommented: "I do not think this budget is an example of an efficient, effective and rigorous review of how we spend our money."

Council leader Jan Morgan said if the Conservatives had any ideas for the budget they should have put them forward.

Mr Mann retorted that his group would not have been listened to anyway.

The finance committee's recommendations on the budget have to be ratified by both the police committee and the full council.

The full council tax, which is expected to have a rise of considerably more than six per cent, will be made up of demands from the district council, town and parish councils, Thames Valley Police and the lion's share from Oxfordshire County Council.

The final total is expected to be known next month.