EAST Hampshire District Council's acting leader has defended its two-and-a-half per cent council tax increase despite accusations the council was being "mischievous".

Minister Grant Shapps lambasted EHDC and other councils like it which voted in the rise after rejecting the Government's one-off grant offer to freeze it this year.

Mr Shapps, the minister for housing and local government, declared councils that voted through increases were "making a mistake".

And he called it a "folly" to increase cash-strapped taxpayers' bills when they were struggling to make ends meet.

For full story, see this week's Liphook Herald.