WHO said Dick Turpin was dead?

The increases in my Council Tax bill over last year's bill are: To LCC -- +3.5 per cent to Lancaster City Council -- +5.96 per cent to Lancashire Police -- +8.45 per cent overall increases -- +4 per cent. Over the last four year period the overall council tax bill has increased by an average of 8.5 per cent per annum. Please could somebody who is better at sums than I, please explain to me how these figures equate to a published national inflation rate of circa 2 per cent, or my annual occupational pension increase correspondingly fixed at around 2 per cent for the last four years?

An expression relating to camels and a straw comes to mind, and I am sure that other readers must be of like mind. Because our various wanton councillors and committees are obviously not interested in good husbandry, I think it is time for a ratepayers' action committee, and I would be interested to gauge, through your columns, the potential support for such a body.

Downtrodden Bolton-le-Sands