Youth services in Oswestry have received a funding boost from the town council.

Shropshire Council confirmed last week it would be reducing its budget for youth services from £24,640 to £14,500 for the town for the coming year.

And now the town council has stepped in to provide an additional £5,500 to provide two two-hour youth club sessions which will cost £20,000.

It comes after members agreed to increase the council tax precept by four per cent from April 2018.

Councillor Vince Hunt said: "The council is responsible to the public for how much we put it up and what we spend it on.

"To maintain the status quo they have asked us to put in £5,500 and I think that is good value for money and something the youth of Oswestry deserve."

However, Councillor Duncan Kerr said allocating the increase to the youth budget will put other services in jeopardy as he says the council has not taken inflation into consideration.

He continued: "It is absolutely right that we do this, but we [the Green Party] called for a nine per cent rise as other costs are going up and will need to be met - we need to be aware of the impact it will have."

Cllr Hunt responded: "It is very easy to be critical, it is easy to take a swipe, but it is not always fair.

"I think as a town council we have always done a good job of being supportive of youth services and have worked on initiatives such as the Futures Awards and we also have our own Youth Council."

Councillor Chris Schofield added: "None of us want to be in this position but that is what we have been asked to do.

"We are keeping that service at the level it has been by putting in that money."