A couple are moving house in disgust after being fined for late payment of their council tax.

Unemployed taxi driver Ray Hunt and his wife Susan, both 44, from St Martin's Street, Wallingford, no longer want to live in South Oxfordshire because of the district council's rigorous collection methods.

In a hearing at Didcot Magistrates' Court, Mr and Mrs Hunt were fined £27 and ordered to pay £5.50 costs for late payment of their monthly council tax bill.

MrHunt said he went to the council last May for advice as he could only pay the council tax bill on the third Friday of each month.

"We paid it in full for ten months, but then we were told that we must pay on the first of every month without exception," he said.

He continued: "Now we feel so angry that we are going to move out of South Oxfordshire District Council's area. We will go - and the council won't receive another penny of our money."

South Oxfordshire District Council's finance spokesman Paul Howden admitted the council's collection procedures were strict, but added: "As far as I am concerned, we bent over backwards to help Mr and Mrs Hunt.

"We tried to help them but they kept defaulting."

Story date: Wednesday 10 February

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