I DID not expect to receive an answer so quickly to my question regarding how much is owed in Council Tax (regarding my previous letter).

Your headlines state that the sum amounts to £5 million -- incredible!

Is it not time that the Finance Department got its act together and retrieved this terrible debt? A more vigorous method of collection, together with incentives such as discounts for early payers, as mentioned in my previous letter, should be pursued.

Mr J H Smith

Stephenson Street

Horwich

Bolton