WE reported this week on our ongoing battle to name a councillor who failed to pay their council tax on time.

The initial revelation – that two councillors had failed to pay their rates – came from a Freedom of Information request sent by reporter Dale Haslam.

However, Bolton Council withheld the names of the two councillors, saying this would infringe their right to privacy.

Since then one councillor – Tory Mudasir Dean came forward to admit that he was one of the councillors in question.

But a Labour councillor is still hiding behind a court ruling agreeing with Bolton Council.

The battle to name the councillor has gone on more than two years and lawyers have now taken on our case and have lodged papers with the court of appeal in London.

I hope this court rules in our favour – but we should not have to jump through all these hoops in the first place.

Councillors are elected officials. They should be whiter than white and if they step out of line, they should own up.