THOSE dodging council tax or business rates in Richmondshire face the threat of up to three months in prison under a new get-tough policy.

The district council has launched committal proceedings at the magistrates' court for persistent non-payers.

Legislation has allowed local authorities to take such action for the past ten years, but Richmondshire District Council has never enforced it.

The resources committee heard on Tuesday that the point had been reached in several cases where the normal procedures had failed to secure payment.

Finance unit manager Martin Drydale stressed that committal proceedings would be used only where people refused wilfully to pay, and not for those who could not pay.

The process would also be used only when all other methods of recovery had failed and the debtor had been given every chance to pay.

After the meeting, Councillor Raymond Alderson, committee chairman, said: "We have introduced this policy to recover payment from those who won't pay rather than those who can't pay.

"The council has always been sympathetic to people who have difficulty in making their payments and there are various initiatives designed to help those in genuine need."