Although Bradford Council has improved its council tax collection rate on the previous year, there is still a sizeable shortfall. In fact if the missing £2.2 million of business rates is added, the hole in the Council’s tax coffers up to the end of March works out at almost £12 million.

A lot could be done with that money. It would, for instance, go a long way towards refurbishing the swimming pools that are threatened with closure. And there are plenty of other areas of Council responsibility that would benefit from an injection of cash.

Apart from such considerations, the fact that many people are still getting away with not paying their dues is demoralising for the rest. As Government Minister John Healey rightly says, it’s only fair on the other council tax payers that everyone pays what they owe.

Council leader Kris Hopkins points out that the collection rate for domestic council tax has increased. It has indeed, from 91.8 per cent to 93.3 per cent, while the figure for business rates is up marginally – from 98 per cent to 98.1 per cent. However, this must be set against national figures of 97.1 per cent and 98.8 respectively.

Councillor Hopkins says that some people may have valid reasons for non-payment, but rightly declares that the 6.7 per cent who don’t make their contribution place a burden on the others who do. It’s for the sake of those 93.3 per cent who play fair that the Council must try even harder to close the gap.