OXFORDSHIRE residents' annual council tax bill will increase by nearly £43 next year under plans released by the county council.

It said its 2019/20 budget will mean a bill of £1,468.83, up from a current charge for 2018/19 of £1,426.19 for an average Band D property.

The bill is likely to be passed in February, with the council saying it will need to increase its children's social care budget to £86m next year.

It said that will mean the money spent on that department will more than double over 10 years, with spending soaring to £95m in 2022/23. The council's budget for that department had been £46m in 2012/13.

Ian Hudspeth, the county council's leader, said: "Where a child is at real risk of abuse or neglect we act first and deal with the budget impact later. We must meet these budget pressures by finding ways to make savings so we can continue to fund services to support the most vulnerable children and adults."

Since 2011, the council said the number of children taken into care has increased by 80 per cent – from 425 children to over 790. That total has included a vast increase of unaccompanied asylum seeking children, arriving in the country from around the world without any parents or guardians. It has about 70 of those children in care currently.

The council will set its budget in February.