COUNCIL tax fraudsters have been warned a new crackdown has begun.

Darlington Borough Council has launched a review of the 16,000 people in the borough who claim single person reductions.

People living on their own are entitled to a 25 per cent reduction in their council tax bill. However, the council believes some residents claiming the reduction are not living on their own.

The average saving is £240 - costing the council about £4m per year.

Nationally, five per cent of single discounts are fraudulent, and now the council is conducting what it calls a "major audit" of its discounts.

An external agency, which holds information on households, will check the claims.

Stephen Harker, cabinet member for resources, said: "This will be a comprehensive review, looking at all single person discount claims made by people in the borough.

"Officers will be scrutinising them carefully, to check for any that may be fraudulent. The message is clear - anyone who is entitled to the discount will not be hearing from us, but we will take action against those who are found to be acting fraudulently."