SLIP and trip claims against the council are costing Blackpool taxpayers so much money that chancers filing bogus claims are to be prosecuted in a new crackdown.

The number of 'highway tripping' claims against Blackpool Borough Council has shot up from 350 in 1998 to 950 over the past 12 months, the council said.

But not all of these are genuine -- prompting the council to take a harder line.

"We have seen the advent of the compensation culture which arrived here from the United States and has taken a foothold in this country.

"But we are also aware that there are a growing number of suspicious claims and it is those which we will not tolerate," warned council leader, Councillor Roy Fisher.

The council said if there is 'a hint of fraud' attached to a claim it will go all out to expose it and 'where appropriate' report those behind it to the police, possibly leading to criminal prosecution.

It has 'improved and targeted its maintenance and repair service' to help prevent accidents in the first place, and it has strengthened its claims team to help it 'deal with genuine claims promptly'.

The team has already bucked a national upward trend in claims from tenants for compensation as a result of failure to repair, a council spokeswoman said.

The council also said it is not alone -- councils countrywide are reporting increases of up to 800 per cent in the last ten years -- prompting them to work together and share information to combat fraud.

Blackpool Borough Council has blamed 'no win, no fee' deals and the emergence of 'claims farmers' -- companies employing commission based street canvassers to ask the public if they've had an accident -- for the rise in claims.

It says the cost is always met by Blackpool's taxpayers -- either directly or by forking out for higher insurance premiums as a result.

"That's not a situation we are prepared to tolerate in Blackpool," said Cllr Fisher. "Council tax should be spent on maintaining our roads and pavements to a high standard rather than paying compensation."