NO matter how much validity there may be in the contention by Blackburn with Darwen's finance supremo, Councillor Gail Barton, that the debts of almost £1million written off without a word by executive members are only a small proportion of the amount the council successfully collects, it is still an awful lot of money down the drain. Indeed, when the dry figures are translated into such tangible facts as this written-off money being the equivalent of a £37 reduction in the council tax of every Band D property or enough to fund a crime-fighting neighbourhood warden scheme, then any pooh-poohing of its loss may be regarded as an insult by taxpayers who are suffering for it.

And when such an amount is abandoned in such a casual way - being nodded through without question or comment by eight senior Labour councillors on Blackburn with Darwen's executive board - does it not send a bad message to defaulters? Namely, that they can get away with it.

Coun Barton says that this money is only written off as a last resort and that the council's record on collecting its dues contrasts well with those of other local authorities and private-sector organisations.

It will, of course, be of small comfort to taxpayers meeting their responsibilities that comparable sums are written off elsewhere. Those in Blackburn and Darwen observing the waiving of this huge sum will, surely, will be more concerned as to whether more could be done to recover more of it. Despite the inevitable political point-scoring that is entailed, they may be struck by the complaints by Tory group leader Councillor Colin Rigby that not only is not enough done, but that neighbouring Bolton Council does better by taking people to court and pursuing a name-and-shame policy on defaulters.

Does such an approach not send a far sharper message to dodgers than the dismissive one that came with the rubber-stamp write-off at Blackburn town hall?