PAYING your council tax need never be the same again. Thanks to a pioneering scheme taken up by Chorley Borough Council, people will be able to pay their bills on the internet, at any Post Office, PAYpoint or PAYzone.

The move will see customers issued with plastic payment cards, embossed with their name and account number.

They will also get a letter explaining how it works and a list of outlets where it can be used.

The scheme, open to anyone who pays council tax, business rates, housing rent, garage rent, mortgages and debtors' invoices, aims to provide a better service, cut costs and boost the local economy.

It's part of a plan by the council to be totally 'on line' in the next three years.

Council leader John Wilson said: "We are part of what is only the second local authority run e-marketplace in the UK."

The Roses Marketplace, as it is known, brings Chorley together with its counterparts at Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Lancashire, Cheshire and Preston, plus the Yorkshire local authorities of Kirklees, Doncaster, East Riding and Wakefield.

From the private sector is Best Value Procurement Ltd.

Chorley has already held a suppliers' forum open day to ensure that established companies, especially local ones, do not miss out on the opportunity to be part of the changes that are taking place. Coun Wilson added: "We are hoping to make efficiency savings of at least two per cent."

Anyone wanting more information about the new payment methods, or with any queries should contact the council's customer services on 01257 515464.