HERE we go again - with the usual winter wail coming from County Hall over the Council Tax.

Early forecasts from the County Council are of a shocking 15 per cent increase in April for most of East Lancashire.

But contrast this with breakaway Blackburn with Darwen Council's prediction of a rise of "only" 4.6 per cent in their Council Tax.

County Hall may have lots of valid reasons to explain this difference - a less-kind handout from the government, a legacy of crumbling roads and schools to contend with, and so forth, but pardon us for looking askance at the tax increase and cuts scare.

Come April, we are sure the reality will be less dreadful, as it is every year - and the politicians will be looking for praise because of it.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.