A COUNCIL tax rebel said yesterday that councils were wasting public money.

Durham City Council summonsed retired businessman Brian Clouston to court for not paying the full bill for the 2002/03 financial year for his home in Princes Street.

He refused to pay the full 14.6 per cent increase for city and county council services and policing, and instead sent a cheque for the 2001/02 charge, plus 2.5 per cent extra for inflation.

Mr Clouston, a founder of the Durham Taxpayers' Alliance, which aims to have members standing in May's city council elections, hoped to persuade local magistrates not to order payment of the full amount.

But he dropped his protest after being told that the law did not allow people to challenge council tax levels, and he will pay the difference.

He said afterwards that the council tax was a "stealth tax" and had risen by 60 per cent above inflation since Tony Blair came to power.

He said: "In addition to the blatant waste of public money spent on impractical targeting, monitoring and consultation by central Government, both the county council and city council waste public money."

He cited the city council's running down of its reserves, the collapse of the firm running the Gala Theatre, and the commissioning of the Sacred Journey large format film as examples.

Mr Clouston, the former chairman of landscape architects Brian Clouston and Partners, also said councillors' allowances had risen by almost 300 per cent since 1998.

A spokeswoman for Durham County Council rejected Mr Clouston's claims, saying that the council tax helped fund services such as education, social services and waste disposal.

A Durham City Council spokeswoman said it was a matter for the courts.