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Reporting local life since 1854
Thursday, November 17, 2011
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Gunshot victim is remembered A MEMORIAL service was due to be held today for a holidaymaker who was shot dead. Gunmen targeted Paul Atkins, of Werrington, outside a bar in the city of Angeles, about 50 miles north of Manila in the Philippines. Dad-of-two Mr Atkins, aged 62, was shot at point blank range and had his wallet, money and mobile phone stolen. Friends and relatives were due to gather today at Carmountside Chapel to remember Mr Atkins.
NHS payout on patient’s death
PAY UP OR ELSE Bailiff threat to collect unpaid council tax
BY ALEX CAMPBELL
alex.campbell@thesentinel.co.uk
BAILIFFS are set to be brought in to recover millions of pounds in unpaid council tax. Stoke-on-Trent City Council is expected to agree a deal with a debt collection agency to try to collect debts dating back as far as 1993. Almost £10 million of the council’s total £19 million arrears bill is accounted for and being repaid in instalments. But up to £2 million owed by residents who failed to pay council tax between 1993 and 2005, and up to £7 million of arrears built up in the subsequent five years, is set to be offered as a package to debt collection agencies on the open market.
They will bid for a ‘no win, no fee’ deal to target people with debts which are considered recoverable. The plans, which must be approved by cabinet, follow a review of the authority’s council tax debt. It found debt from previous years was routinely neglected as the council focused on hitting the Government’s target for in-year collection. Latest figures show in-year collection rates fell from 96.3 per cent in 2008/09 to 93.4 per cent in 2009/10. The Government target for 2009/ 10 was 97 per cent. Chief executive John van de Laarschot, pictured left, today defended the use of bailiffs in recovering money the council is owed. He said: “A nice person in a suit
speaking nicely will not get people to pay. “I’m not suggesting they go in brandishing a gun, but there needs to be an implied level of threat that there are consequences if you do not pay. “Firms need to be firm but fair. “There is a distinction between those who are in need and those who are taking a ride and the approach needs to be very different to both.� Mr van de Laarschot has also called for talks with magistrates over the sentences imposed on council tax evaders. He added: “The sentences are nowhere near as effective as they once were. We need to talk about how the system can deal with these cases effectively. “It isn’t helpful to be told you are
£36m budget cuts on target FINANCE officers predict they will be able to balance the council’s books this year or even achieve an underspend. Stoke-on-Trent City Council said despite the budget challenges it has faced, it is in a better financial position than it expected to be, more than halfway through the financial year. But plans are now being drawn up for further cutbacks and savings for 2012/13. See Page 17
PROPERTY
Should the council be calling in the bailiffs? Email us at letters@ thesentinel.co.uk Comment: Page 10
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going to be paid back ÂŁ1 per week, then for the person to say they can’t afford it and be told they can pay back ÂŁ1 every two weeks.â€? Any debts which cannot be recovered by bailiffs are likely to be written off. A write-off policy will be drawn up before April. Councillor Dave Conway, leader of the opposition City Independents, has previously called for better council tax collection. He said: “I don’t think the people responsible for collecting our council tax have done a very good job.â€?
AN NHS trust has agreed a compensation settlement for the family of a man who killed himself. The widow and children of Martyn Upham were awarded a six-figure sum after it was accepted there were shortcomings in his treatment. Mr Upham killed himself days after being released from hospital after an earlier attempt to self-harm. See Page 4