Residents in Bedfordshire have voted against a £4.5m increase in their council tax bills.
The UK’s first referendum on a council tax increase was called after the county’s police and crime commissioner, Olly Martins, put forward a 15.8% increase to fund an extra 135 police officers.
However, tax payers have rejected the increase with nearly 65% of voters against the rise.
Bedford Borough Council will now issue re-calculated council tax bills to residents at a cost of £250,000.
