A WOMAN who died last year has been summonsed to court for not paying her council tax - and her daughter has vowed to take her ashes along to prove it.

Darlington Borough Council is seeking to recover £122 from Alexandrina Stanton, despite the fact that she died last August at the age of 88.

After numerous letters, warnings and final demands, the council has sent a summons for non-payment of council tax, ordering her to attend court next Tuesday.

Daughter Zaundrai has pledged to be there - with her mother's ashes in an urn.

Miss Stanton, 59, of Harrowgate Hill, Darlington, said she was outraged at the demands, which date back to 2003-4, when her mother was in sheltered accommodation, and later a nursing home.

"There have been so many letters I've lost count," she said. "It must have cost more to send the demands than the amount they actually want.

"It started off as £80, but with charges they've added, they now say we owe £122. The court summons really was the final straw.

" I've still got mum's ashes here with me, so if they want her at court, that is where she will go."

Miss Stanton said she cannot understand why the demands are being sent.

"Mum didn't pay council tax at all in the end when she was in the nursing home, and even before that, it was all in with her rent. There was no separate bill for it."

But, she added: "I laughed hysterically when I got this court summons, and I know my mum would have laughed too. But if it was a younger person who had died tragically, the family could get pretty distressed."

Darlington Borough Council apologised, and pledged to resolve matters.

Councillor Bill Dixon, deputy council leader, said: "We have made a mistake and we need to put it right very quickly," he said. "We are sorry for any trauma and distress."