COUNCIL tax payers in Bexley face a tax hike in double figures according to a draft budget, due to be approved by council cabinet members tonight (Wednesday).

Bexley's share of council tax will be set at around seven per cent.

But the Greater London Authority's precept is expected to add a further 5 per cent to the bill.

One major area of spending by Bexley is the proposed £500,000 to be added to £1.7m external funding, to combat youth disorder in the borough.

The council's spending will be set at £206.5m but the budget will not be finalised until the review committees have looked at it.

This is set to happen by the end of this month.

Bexley could off-set the double-digit increase by taking money from its reserves.

But it has only around £8m in reserves, about £1m more than advised by the council's auditors.

The Greater London Authority's draft budget, which could add nearly another five per cent to Bexley's council tax bill, has been labelled by London councils as "unacceptable."

Labour Group leader Councillor Chris Ball said: "Any increase is likely to be blamed on Ken Livingstone."