A COURT hearing could take place in London into whether a Bolton councillor who was late paying council tax should be named.

For more than two years, The Bolton News has been investigating the case of two councillors who were summoned to court for not paying their council tax on time.

It revealed two councillors, one Labour and one Conservative, had each twice been summoned to court for late payments.

One of those councillors — Bradshaw’s Mudasir Dean — admitted being involved. But the identity of the Labour councillor has remained a mystery.

Our investigation revealed that the Labour councillor in question was sent an order to go to court at some point between May 2011 and April 2012 for not paying £936 in council tax.

The summons was withdrawn after the bill was paid in full.

The councillor was then sent another order to go to court at some point between May 2012 and April 2013 for not paying £1,039.89.

The summons was again withdrawn after the councillor entered into a payment plan with Bolton Council.

In a bid to name that councillor, The Bolton News appealed to Bolton Council, the Information Commissioner’s Office and the First Tier Tribunal without success.

Now media-law firm Wiggin has appealed to the Upper Tribunal.

The ICO said: “The commissioner considers that an oral hearing of this appeal would be appropriate.

"He will, however, consider what the other parties have to say on this point.”

The ICO has submitted a seven-page document to say why it believes Wiggin’s arguments in favour of publishing the councillor’s name are wrong.

Bolton Council has a month to put forward its arguments and Wiggin will then have a month to respond.

A judge is set to make a final decision this year after written arguments have been completed and following a possible oral hearing at the Court of Appeal in London.