JUST for once it would be a pleasant surprise for householders in Ilkley to be greeted with the news that Council Tax will be going up in line with inflation, or even just above inflation. Obviously we wouldn't expect miracles such as Council Tax rising at levels less than national inflation. That would be as nave as expecting City Hall services to improve.

But when the stock market is in seemingly terminal decline, cutting pensions and savings; and when inflation is at a rate of around three per cent, expecting residents to pay an almost extra ten per cent on their Council Tax bill is to say the least unreasonable.

But in a decision expected today in Bradford that is exactly what is going to happen. Bradford intends to hike up Council Tax by 7.6 per cent and the rest comes from the police and fire services. How much longer are people going to be expected to pay hyper-inflated prices for worsening services?

Can anybody in the district be found who is willing to say 'there may have been a massive inflation-busting Council Tax rise last year but local authority, police and fire services have improved no end'. The men in white coats would be round immediately.

According to Bradford Council, the Government is to blame. But this is the same story we have been hearing for years. When there was a Tory Government, Labour Bradford blamed it for inflation-busting Council Tax rises. Now there is a Labour Government, Conservative Bradford points the finger at Westminster as well.

It really is an unconvincing cop-out the beleaguered public is tired of hearing. And it is not just Bradford Council jumping on the bandwagon - the police were wanting us to pay 25 per cent extra (despite the absence of riots in Bradford this year) and the fire service were after a 30 per cent rise.

Such rises are not justified and will only fuel the increasing resentment of a public which feels it is being asked to pay more for ever-decreasing levels of service.