FIVE councillors had to be reminded to pay council tax in the last tax year, new figures show.

Four of them settled their accounts after receiving reminder letters and one, UKIP's Paul Richardson, was summonsed to court, as previously reported by The Bolton News.

We obtained the data from Bolton Council after making a request using the Freedom of Information Act.

The figures relate to the 2015/16 tax year and show that Cllr Richardson owed £916.33 when he was summonsed to court. A £100 court summons fee was added.

The court hearing went ahead and the 70 year old, who represents Little Lever and Darcy Lever, was ordered to pay £746.33 via a liability order. He had already paid £270 before the hearing.

Councillors who have failed to pay due council tax for more than two months are legally barred from voting on the council's budget.

The data show no councillors were prohibited from voting at February's Bolton Council budget meeting.

Cllr Richardson was allowed to vote as he had a payment plan in place.

A reminder comes in the form of a letter after one missed council tax payment.

Councils often warn the resident that their right to pay their council tax in instalments could be withdrawn if they go onto miss a second payment and that legal action could follow if they still do not pay.

Last month, The Bolton News reported Cllr Richardson's story after he came forward.

At the time, Cllr Richardson said he and his wife had got into £40,000 of debts after investing in the Village Team Room in Little Lever. He was forced to sell the business and enter into a debt management plan.

Cllr Richardson said: "I make no apologies for being financially embarrassed or strapped for cash — nor do I blame anyone else for that situation — I do however empathise with all the other citizens who are in similar or even worse circumstances."

The fact that the council revealed his name in response to our request represents a significant change of approach by town-hall bosses. For three years, the local authority refused to reveal the names of two other councillors — Labour’s Ismail Ibrahim and Conservative Mudasir Dean — summonsed to court for late payment of council tax, but a judge last month ordered it to do so after a three-year legal battle.

Figures out this week show it cost the council £3,539 to contest that case.

The council said "a third party" — already known to be Cllr Ibrahim — had agreed to pay the costs though arrangements for how and when have not yet been made as the council is still to be invoiced.

The council said it cannot say how much staff time was spent on dealing with the case as it did not record the information at the time.