LOCAL authorities have found their finances getting increasingly tough over the past decade.

And events in the city as well as Iceland during the past couple of weeks have made the future look considerably bleaker for many councils.

All the more reason then for town hall staffs to keep tighter control than ever before on the purse strings and ensure that public money, whether in the form of council tax receipts or government cash, which ultimately comes from income and other taxes, is not wasted.

With this in mind Hyndburn Council certainly seems to be setting the sort of example which other councils would do well to follow. Hard on the heels of the inspired action by town hall officials, who moved £10million out of Iceland to Ireland before banks there were overwhelmed by the financial crisis, we now hear they have pinpointed 193 borough residents who owe more than £78,000 in council tax.

The individuals have fraudulently claimed they were single occupants of their properties to lessen their tax bills.

After a nine-month investigation the council has pledged that it will recover the money – and has a 98% success rate in doing just that.

Other councils should take note.