Non payers will be 'court'!

6.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 1st Oct 2003

An average of 1,000 local residents are being summoned to court for non-payment of Council Tax every month.

This tough action by Milton Keynes' Council Tax collection team is continuing to bring down arrears under Liberal Democrats commitment to make the most of the Council's money.

By the close of 2003, the council is on target to be in the Top 20 best Council Tax collectors in England.

So far in 2003, over12,000 summonses have been issued to Council Tax dodgers across MK.

Cllr Irene Henderson, Cabinet Leader for Housing, said: "Our rate of Council Tax collection has traditionally been very good, but I am pleased to say it has improved and we are catching up with more and more non-payers. "

Out of 358 English Authorities, MKC had the 15th best, improved collection performance, increasing the percentage collected from 93% to 94.7%.

The tough new measures to increase Council Tax collection, introduced when Liberal Democrats came to power in 2002, are kicking in and the projected collection figure for this year is 96% - above the Unitary Authority average of 95.6%.