OVER £4 million in unpaid council tax was owed to Herefordshire Council at the end of the 2014/15 financial year.

Debt charity National Debtline said the figure – for a local authority area the size of Herefordshire was a concern.

Herefordshire Council stands by its 98 per cent council tax collection rate as one of the highest in the country.

But, in a statement, the council acknowledged “some residents require additional assistance with their council tax”.

Overall, £4,264,000 was owed in unpaid Council Tax across the Herefordshire Council area as  March 31 - equivalent to an average of £51 per dwelling and up £3,262,000 on the previous year.

National Debtline took 142 calls for help from the county last year and said council tax was now the  fastest growing type of problem debt it is helping clients to resolve – with 24 per cent of all callers now in arrears, up from 14 per cent in 2007.

Chief executive Joanna Elson OBE said: “The fact that Herefordshire residents owe £4.3 million makes us concerned that many more people in the area are struggling alone."

The £4.3 million owed can be set against the  £84 million the council collects in council tax – with a collection rate of 98.12 per cent being amongst the highest in the country.

In a statement, the council said it “appreciates” that some residents require additional assistance with their council tax and, as such, has an “experienced and knowledgeable” team in place to help those who find it difficult to keep up with their payments.

This team, the statement said, works with residents to put suitable payment plans in place and, where necessary, directs them to appropriate services or organisations for specialist advice.

Last month, the Hereford Times revealed that debts worth nearly £600,000 have been written off by Herefordshire Council - with unpaid business rates making up much of the total.

Figures showed that between November and March, the council wrote off £437,000 in debts over £2,000 - the threshold that requires a report from the chief financial officer.

Over the same period, £152,000 worth of debts under £2,000 were written off, taking the overall total to £589,000.

Debts written off by the council represent a very low proportion of income collected with council tax raising £81 million and business rates £45 million.

The council's finance procedure rules stipulate that authorisations for writing off debt over £20,000 mean the chief finance officer seeking agreement from the relevant cabinet for resources.

Five cases came into that category between November-March including:

- £169,000 in business rates due from  four companies that went into receivership with no monies available for distribution to creditors.

- £32,000 relating to council tax owed on a number of properties due to the bankruptcy of the landlord.

Where debts of over £2,000 were involved the council wrote off:

- 30 cases related to business rates (of which 50 per cent goes to central government) worth £328,000.

- 11 cases of unpaid council tax together worth £55,000.

-  Five cases representing £30,000 of "general debt".

-  Seven cases of benefit overpayment totalling £24,000.

Debts  are  only  written  off once  full  debt  recovery processes are completed, occasionally debt previously written off becomes payable if  the  debtors  circumstances  change.

Though the council works  with  statutory  bodies, legal processes can take months, even  years, to conclude before a write off is sanctioned.