Council will hunt down tax cheats

By jthompson

COUNCIL bosses are warning tax dodgers they will be "relentlessly pursued" after a Grimsby woman was jailed for failing to pay up.

Helen Shepherd was locked up for 86 days after failing to pay her council tax over a nine-year period.

Grimsby magistrates heard Shepherd, of Wellington Street, had persistently ignored warnings to pay some of the £4,852 she owed to the council.

Shepherd was first summonsed to court for non-payment in 2004, when £728 was wiped off her debt and she was ordered to make regular payments. However, she failed to adhere to the agreement and evaded the council for a number of years, when her debts mounted further.

She appeared back at court in March when she was ordered to pay £20 per week, but failed to do so.

Councillor Daniel Khan, North East Lincolnshire Council's portfolio holder for finance, said: "Collection of council tax is important as this pays for vital council services and we have a duty to those that do pay to ensure everyone pays.

"We pursue those who won't pay their council tax rigorously, as this case shows."

Currently, £6.7-million is owed to the authority in unpaid council tax, dating back to 1993.

However, bosses say that almost 98 per cent of council tax is collected every year – which will this year total £57-million.

Cllr Khan said: "We work hard to help those who genuinely can't pay their council tax and I would encourage anyone who is experiencing difficulties to contact us at the earliest opportunity and we will do all that we can to assist them."