Nine North-East councillors named after failing to pay £10,000 council tax on time

Labour's Jan Measor, who sits on Durham County Council, received a court summons and was banned from voting on budgetary issues as a result of last year's outstanding £1,179.34 council tax bill.

Stockton borough councillor Tracey Stott

She is one of nine councillors across the region to be named following research carried out by Private Eye.

The magazine submitted 377 Freedom of Information requests to local authorities across the country after a high court ruled last March that non-paying councillors should not have their identities protected by town hall chiefs.

They found four of the region’s Labour councillors, one Conservative, one UKIP, two Liberal Democrats and one independent councillor were summonsed over unpaid council tax and that 44 reminder letters were sent to councillors across the area during the 2015/16 billing period.

According to the FoI, the total amount of council tax paid late by councillors in the North-East and North Yorkshire was £10,099.77.

Private Eye say Darlington Borough Council refused to answer its FoI, a claim the authority denied, saying it had no councillors with an outstanding debt of more than two months.

Stockton borough councillor Tracey Stott was taken to court owing £693.62 while Conservative Philip Dennis was summonsed for £306. Both paid after court action.

Labour councillor Ms Stott told The Northern Echo it had been a difficult time in her life when she was coping with bereavements and the loss of her job.

Scarborough borough councillor Sam Cross, who represents Filey for UKIP, was summonsed but paid £1089.46 before the hearing. Northumberland county councillor for Longhoughton, Liberal Democrat Kate Cairns, was summonsed over £1,889.85 and also paid before the case was heard.

Liberal Democrat, Cllr Robin Ashby, who sits on Newcastle City Council, representing Parklands in Gosforth, referred to his debt of £2,229.98 as a “gross exaggeration” - saying a bank error was to blame for one late payment.

He paid following a court case and said: “It all gave me experience of the council’s system for chasing up people who don’t pay council tax and shows what a sound system it is for good recovery.”

Fellow Newcastle city councillor Habib Rahman, who represents Elswick for Labour, paid £1029.18 before court and apologised “unreservedly” for overlooking two bills, saying he was “embarrassed that a summons was issued”.

Independent Anthony Allen, who sits on Sunderland City Council, was summonsed over £728.46 and said it had been an “oversight” on his behalf. The bill was also paid prior to the court hearing.

Cllr Paul Middleton, Labour representative for Washington South on the Sunderland authority, paid his £953.28 debt after being summonsed.

Redcar and Cleveland, Richmondshire and South Tyneside councils issued no reminders to councillors during the 2015/16 billing period.

A spokesman for Private Eye said it was important to remember many councillors may have had legitimate reasons for failing to pay their bills on time.