PRIVATE detectives may be used to catch people who pay less council tax by pretending they live alone.

Under current rules, singles are entitled to a 25 per cent reduction in the standard band for their property.

Blackburn with Darwen Council bosses say the number of people claiming they live alone is rising and out of proportion with the growth of other tax-paying groups. Around 36 per cent of council tax bills are charged at single person rate

The council is already battling to try and improve its normal collection rate and by the end of the last financial year, around six per cent of council tax bills had not been paid.

The council has refused to say by how much the percentage of bills paid at the single person rate has risen, although they said today it was 'far higher than in the past.'

Last year's census is due to be published in the summer, and although it is expected to reveal that more people do live on their own, council bosses believe it will also show that far too many people are claiming the discount.

Alan Cotton, director of finance at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: "We will checking various details and records, although it is fair to say there is a far larger number of single person households than in the past.

"This will be done by our internal benefits investigations unit in line with usual procedure. It is now standard practice for officials to use private detectives to make sure people are not defrauding the council.

A report to tonight's policy and review committee will outline a series of recommendations for ensuring the council collects as much tax as possible.

As well as the crackdown on single reduction fraud, the report, prepared by Conservative councillor Michael Law-Riding, also recommends more people be persuaded to pay by direct debit so that council tax is paid on time.

It also suggests publicity warning people of the consequences of non-payment, including court action and bailiffs. This publicity should be targeted at hard-to-reach sections of the community, such as people whose first language is not English.

But he also wants to allow those who cannot pay to receive advice from the council's welfare centre before the bailiffs are sent in.