Householders in Littlehampton, Arundel, Bognor and Ferring face an inflation-busting rise in their council tax bills.

The district council last night voted to increase its slice of the bill to £114.30 - up £9.90 - making the average Band D charge £963.85.

The rise proposed by the district's ruling Tory party is one of the lowest in the county but still drew criticism from Labour and the Lib Dems during the heated meeting.

Coun Derek Whittaker said it was lower than the increase set by West Sussex County Council.

He told councillors: "The proposed level of tax is still lower than that set by this council in 1993/94. Then it was 54p higher than the council tax we are proposing."

The council is to pump £3.2 million into council house improvements and £1.3 million into new social housing over the next year.

Labour leader Roger Nash put forward an amendment to spend an extra £500,000 over two years on child-care, energy conservation, homelessness, tourism and regeneration.

But the amendment was blocked by 35 votes to 16.

Liberal leader James Walsh called for a fairer system of taxation to be introduced nationally based on a person's ability to pay rather than where they lived.

Council house rents will stay the same for the second year running and the overall grants budget has been set at £269,000.