Council tax bills are to rise by an average of 4.5% in England from April, according to the latest figures.

The figures, published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), found the average bill for Band D households in England will be £75.60 higher in 2019/20.

'Council tax is regressive and increasingly divorced from the reality of property values.'

Households in Greater London will be hit by the biggest increase at 5.1%.

Chief executive of CIPFA, Rob Whiteman, said: ‘The extent of the rises across the country are a reflection of the incredible fiscal pressure faced by local authorities and police.