FINANCE bosses at Blackburn town hall today warned that council tax bills could soar by up to ten per cent next year.

Deputy leader Bill Taylor, chairman of management and finance, advised the people of Blackburn and Darwen: "be ready for the worst."

And Councillor Taylor said he believed the Government should be blamed for any increases and claimed Chancellor Kenneth Clarke has already made secret plans to cut income tax.

He said: "Tax cuts would have to be paid for by taking money from other sources, possibly by slashing cash earmarked for local government.

"That means local authorities being forced to raise council tax bills by up to 10 per cent." He added: "What sense does it make for the Government to bribe people with tax cuts just before a General Election and pay for them by forcing councils to raise council tax.?

"People are not stupid. In Blackburn we have faced a standstill in our overall spending for the last four years.

"People are not stupid, they will know who to blame if we are suddenly faced with a hefty hike in council tax on the back of a cynical ploy by the chancellor to lower taxes in his final budget."

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