by Joe Walker
joewalker@thekmgroup.co.uk

MORE than one in 10 people are behind with their council tax payments, the Gazette can reveal.
Figures show 5,108 taxpayers in the Canterbury district are in arrears this week.
The news comes as it was revealed more than 4,000 people a year are being hounded by bailiffs for unpaid council tax and parking fines.
Statistics show the city council passed 13,696 cases to debt collectors between 2007 and 2010 – an average of 12 per day.
Privacy campaigner Big Brother Watch has condemned the figures, describing the use of bailiffs as “truly shocking”. Director Daniel Hamilton, a former pupil at Simon Langton Boys’ School, said: “Sending in bailiffs to recover debts should always be the absolute last resort.
“The fact local councils have passed more than six million cases to bailiffs in the UK since 2007 for matters as trivial as the late payment of council taxes and parking fines is truly shocking.
“In many cases, bailiffs are a law unto themselves; barging their way into people’s homes, intimidating vulnerable members of the public and imposing rip-off charges.”
Bailiffs are not the only threat to council tax dodgers, with those in arrears risking a court appearance and a spell in prison.
Almost 25,000 people in the district have been hit with orders by magistrates since 2005.
In the same period the council has collected £355 million in taxes, receiving £64.2 million in the past year alone.
More than £2.1 million has gone uncollected in that time, with close to £700,000 written off.
The city council has defended its use of bailiffs, claiming every effort is made to stop it getting to that stage.
Spokesman Rob Davies said: “The use of bailiffs to recover parking and council tax debts is only taken after very careful consideration of the case and when no other option is available.
“With council tax debts, every case will have been sent a bill, at least one reminder, a summons and a further notice of possible bailiff action before we begin the bailiff process.
“Many of the cases we pass to the bailiffs are ones where we have had very little or no contact from the taxpayer or motorist.
“For council tax in particular, it is only fair on the majority of our residents who do pay their council tax that we take appropriate steps to recover any outstanding sums.
“But we are very aware of the financial strain many people are under during this difficult time, and we will gladly discuss payment options, means and amounts that can comfortably be paid.”