OUR readers have been reacting to the figures showing that over 12,000 people in Bolton have been summoned to court over non-payment of council tax have also revealed a stark difference between wards.

The findings, obtained from Bolton Borough Council under the Freedom of Information Act, show that the most deprived wards have seen the most summons, while the fewest have been issued in better off wards.

Overall, Great Lever saw the most summonses with a total of 1,243 over the past 12 months, while Bromley Cross has seen the fewest with 262.

Qwertychap said: "Being a pensioner and law abiding citizen I pay my council tax of £1800 per annum, but this tax is not fair. Across the road from where I live is a family with four working members and presumably they pay the same as I do. Margaret Thatchers so called "poll tax" was a far better system for bringing in cash for the local council. Now, of course, a large swathe of my tax goes to the useless Mayoral Precept. The whole system needs reforming."

Faig said: "I feel really sorry for people who cannot afford to pay for council tax,it is heart rendering when some have to decide on paying mortgage or even eating in some cases. The people that are paying council tax certainly do not get value for money."

Notlob1 said: "Recover by doing an honest days work. Something which is completely alien to most people I see in the town."

BurndenBilly2 said: "Instead of continually taking out, put something in, Get a job, the country is crying out for workers."

graham26 said: "Everytime you put the news on the television its all about labour shortages, so its not rocket science. Unfortunately the majority of these people will be to busy watching their top of the range satellite TV packages and they will not want waste money by not watching it."

steveG said: "Council tax is a massive, unwarranted burden on most members of society. It pays for a replication in administration across hundreds of boroughs throughout the United Kingdom."