Full force of council funding cuts revealed

Councils and police in the Black Country and Staffordshire will be stripped of more than £188 million in government grants over the next two years.

More than £90m will be cut next year followed by a further £53m in 2012.

The hardest hit Black Country council will be Sandwell where £23.7m is coming off its grants next year, a reduction of 6.7 per cent, leaving it with £353m including its council tax followed by another £11.7m cut next year.

Wolverhampton is losing £20.4m, or seven per cent, next year and £9.6m the year after taking its annual budget in 2011 to £292m.

Walsall will lose £19.5m or 6.6 per cent next year and £9.7m in 2012 while Dudley will be stripped of £9.5m, 3.4 per cent of its funding, in 2011 and £8.3m in 2012.

West Midlands Fire Authority will lose £6.7m, 5.6 per cent of its funding, in 2011 and £2.5m in 2012.

Staffordshire County Council will lose £10.6m, or two per cent, in 2011 and £11.2m the year after while the district councils of South Staffordshire, Cannock Chase, Lichfield and Stafford will lose £3.6m between them next year and £2.6m the year after.

West Midlands Police will see funding fall from £513.8m to £480.3m while Staffordshire Police will get £119.3m compared with £127.6m this year.

* Get Tuesday's Express & Star for the full breakdown of cuts and reaction to the announcement.