Council leaders are bidding to justify a huge hike in West Sussex council taxes as public anger mounts.

West Sussex County Council is expected at its annual budget meeting on Friday to sanction an unprecedented 18.5 per cent increase in council tax.

The move has sparked anger among householders already upset at county councillors claiming more than £1 million in allowances each year.

Now council leader Harold Hall and Cabinet member for resources Colin Waller have joined forces to defend their record.

They said the council ran a tight ship and was not prepared to cut services to the detriment of residents.

In a joint statement, they said: "The county council has a long tradition of delivering good services for a relatively low council tax. This year the Government has shifted more than £30 million of grant from West Sussex to authorities elsewhere in the country.

"The same has been done to other authorities, including the police. The challenge to councils has therefore been to cut services or ask council taxpayers to pay more.

"This council's Cabinet has chosen not to accept damage to the standard of living for the community that significant service cuts would imply.

"The changes have cost West Sussex more than £30 million in lost grant in a full year.

"The scale of reduced spending needed to live within a council tax increase of just two per cent would require very large cuts in services.

"Cutting social services would harm those in need of residential and home care. Closing fire stations and libraries and reducing maintenance on the roads would have to be considered. The Cabinet is not prepared to follow that course.

"While the poorest in the community are protected to some extent from the impact of the council tax increase by the benefits system, the poor and vulnerable in need of services have no protection if the council fails to provide those services.

"West Sussex County Council runs a tight ship. Every year we produce two per cent efficiency savings across all areas. The total number of staff is almost the same as it was ten years ago.

"Even after this increase, the council tax in West Sussex is likely to be below the average of council taxes in all 34 English counties."