IS it any wonder that pensioners across the country are up in arms about the increases in council tax?

Every year the tax is increased above the rate of inflation but the ability of pensioners to pay the tax from their meagre pensions diminishes every year. I am not looking forward to living in Bury on a state pension.

On Tuesday, Charles Kennedy, Liberal Democrat leader, stated that council taxes have increased by more than 70 per cent since Labour has been in power. In Bury, the Band C rate has risen by 74.13 per cent in eight years.

In 1995-96 my council tax for Band C was £553.13. Now it has increased to £963.19. State pensions, however, were £58.85 per week eight years ago and have increased by only 21 per cent to the present level of £77.45 per week. In 1995 the council absorbed 18 per cent of a pensioner's annual income: now it eats up nearly 24 per cent of the pension.

If one takes the average increases over the last eight years in the tax and the state pension and projects them, in ten years, more than one-third of my pension will go straight to the council. By the year 2044, at this rate, your entire pension will go straight to the council!

One has to to admire the pensioners in Devon who are suffering even greater increases and are threatening to go to jail rather than pay their council taxes. They have already formed the Devon Pensioners Action Forum.

Do we have to sit back and watch Bury Council turn a blind eye? This year's council tax Band C increased by 11.7 per cent. Enough is enough.

ROY W. SMITH,

Glendale Avenue, Bury.