The Child Support Agency was under fire today after sending a Bradford dad an arrears bill for £42,000 - despite an appeal judge ruling that an original demand for £13,000 was too high.

Farmer Martin Hare, 42, said the huge bill, which threatened him with jail unless he made an immediate £399 payment, had left him "sick with worry".

He has been wrangling with the CSA for four years over arrears it claims he owes for his daughters Kirsty, 18, and Sally, 16.

In April, a judge at the Appeal Court in Leeds ordered that his case be reviewed after ruling that the demand for £13,000 arrears was excessive.

Two months later he received a bill for £42,091.20 arrears, then at the beginning of this month he received another bill for £13,000 arrears with no reference to the previous demand or the judge's decision.

Mr Hare said: "Both the demand letters say I owe money from 10/09/1998 until 23/10/2003, even though my daughters were living with me for some of that time.

"When my wife and myself split up about nine years ago, the girls lived with me for a time.

"Two and a half years ago the eldest went to live with her mum and a year and a half ago my youngest went to live with her too.

"To say I owe £42,000 in that short time is absolutely ridiculous."

Mr Hare, who runs a milk round from his farm in Westgate Hill Street, Tong, said his health had been affected by the demands and he had been recommended for counselling by his doctor.

"I have been worried sick about this," he said.

"If somebody else had a bill like that it could have made them commit suicide. I am constantly worrying that the police are going to turn up.

"Within a few weeks of my daughters going to live with their mum I was paying maintenance. It has varied because the CSA has never given me a fixed amount but I've paid anything between £50 and £80 a week," he said.

The CSA has attracted widespread criticism after experiencing problems with a new multi-million pound computer system, which was meant to speed up payments.

Mr Hare said: "I have tried to chase the CSA up about these things and get them to answer my questions but they haven't called me back and don't seem to know what other departments are doing.

"I will pay for my daughters and was happy to pay maintenance but I want to pay what's right.

"I am sick of this going on. It seems to be the wrong system and there's no justice."

Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe has been trying to help Mr Hare.

"We have been looking into this case for about four years for Mr Hare. Nobody at the CSA seems to know where the amount for £42,000 came from," said a spokesman at his office.

"It is very worrying for Mr Hare and we have been trying to solve this issue of arrears and hopefully we can help to sort this out so that he pays the correct amount he owes."

Solicitor Chris Storah, a partner and family law specialist with Savage Crangle in Otley, said: "Ever since the emergence of the CSA I have had a constant stream of clients with valid complaints ranging from inaccurate assessments, unhelpful staff and extreme delays.

"The CSA appears to be incapable of dealing with matters either promptly or properly which has caused a considerable anxiety and distress for many of my clients. The matter does not appear to be improving."

CSA spokesman Jackie Halls said: "While I am unable to discuss individual cases, the Child Support Agency takes very seriously its responsibilities to make correct child maintenance assessments.

"If a person does not agree with the assessment or has questions about how the amount is calculated, they should contact their case worker to discuss the matter further."