Billpayers who are still adjusting to the rising cost of their council tax may be unhappy to hear that the council's attention is already turning to the next financial year.

Council tax bills increased by 8.99 per cent in April - a change which has left many Maidenhead and Windsor residents paying an extra £138 annually.

The borough had initially targeted a near 25 per cent rise but saw this controversial proposal blocked by the Government.

Discussions are already underway on the borough's future spending plans and the council is once again considering a rise above the maximum permitted 4.99 per cent.

The public purse remains strained, as revealed by the council's new plan for funding its Christmas lights.

It seems residents could be set to bear the brunt of the increasingly dire state of local authority finances.