HOW far would 12p go towards reducing your Council Tax bill these days?

But back in 1964 when Blackburn Council introduced rates payment stamps -- and machines vending them -- their half-crown value took a significant sting out of the householders' bills.

Two of the machines, like the one pictured, were installed outside the town hall and another was at the Library.

And the new system enabled the Council to introduce rates payments by instalment -- something that other councils did not get round to until 1966 when a new law made its availability compulsory along with rebates for people on low incomes.