Tax dodgers in Swindon owe the council almost £4 million in unpaid rates from last year, new figures have revealed.

According to the latest financial accounts, council taxes unpaid by town residents amounted to nearly £3 million in 2003/2004.

And town coffers were hit to the tune of £787,000 by businesses that failed to pay their rates.

It means in the last two years combined, tax cheats have kept £7.6 million in their own pockets money they should have handed to the council.

Frank Avenall, secretary of Fairness for Pensioners and campaigner against council tax rises, reacted angrily to the news.

"This is why we are getting clobbered by high council tax," he said.

"It's just another form of waste if you don't collect it. Four million pounds is a lot of money and the people of Swindon deserve an explanation."

Despite the huge sums involved, the council tax figures released by the government showed collection rates in Swindon had improved.

Last year, five per cent of rates were dodged, compared to the previous level of 5.6 per cent.

This is still worse than the national average for unitary authorities, currently at 4.5 per cent.

But Swindon councillor Nick Martin, the cabinet member responsible for tax collection, said Liberata the company charged with collecting taxes had met its target and would continue to chase up what was owed.

"Ideally we would like to collect 100 per cent of council tax," said Coun Martin (Con, Shaw and Nine Elms).

"We have collected 95 per cent of council tax in the year, which is better than last year.

"And the collectors won't just stop there. They will continue to seek out the slower payers and we expect to eventually get back 98 per cent of council tax through chasing the debts."

Liberata has already taken non-payers to court to claw back more than £210,000 of outstanding tax bills.

It is pursuing the rest through a combination of reminders and court summons.

Coun Martin is set to meet Liberata tomorrow to agree next year's collection target, expected to be 96 per cent in the year.

"We are not looking to stand still but to be an improving council," he said.

The official figures have also revealed just how much Swindon Council takes from residents and local businesses.

It collected a total of £56.9 million in council tax from householders last year, up from the previous haul of £48.7 million.

And town businesses shelled out rates of £80.8 million in 2003/04.

Across the country, councils collected an extra £15m in local taxes last year bringing in a total of £15.99 billion by the end of March 2004.

What the council could do with all that extra money

£2.5 million: A fourth park-and-ride scheme for Swindon.

£500,000: Expand kerbside recycling collection including paper, plastic, textiles, glass, metal and green garden waste to the whole of West Swindon.

£400,000: Give Swindon Town the land for a football stadium between Junction 16 of the M4 and the B4006.

£280,000: Bring children's play areas up to standard across the town.

£180,000: 10 newly qualified teachers

£50,000: A mobile drama school classroom

£78,000: Keep SMASH youth project going for a year

£8,800: Vital funding for Swindon Volunteers group.

Andy Tate