MOST council tax payers would not mind a reasonable increase in their tax bills year-on-year if this meant better services.

Nevertheless, when we find central government and local councils at odds with each other on this emotive issue we have to be concerned.

Indeed, we have the local government minister Nick Raynsford saying that councils have no excuse for imposing major council tax hikes, only moderate rises are needed.

Tony Blair too claims the Government has been 'very generous to local authorities'. Fact or fiction?

Many think it's a stealth tax, but we are certainly being asked to pay more and more for less and less. Fact?

J Hunt, Carrfield, Bamber Bridge.