A PENSIONER has vowed not to pay the annual rise in council tax... even if it lands her in prison.
Mae Kaul, 75, of Haywood Close, Accrington, has accused Hyndburn Council of being wasteful and told the Observer it was time to make a stand.
The widow - who lives in a one-bedroom council flat and survives on a state pension - said although she could afford to pay the bill, she was refusing to do so on principle.
Mrs Kaul, a rheumatoid arthritis sufferer, has paid full rent and council tax on her flat, which she said is damp and badly built, for 11 years.
She said: "The council tax at the moment is £60 per month and I have told them I won't pay when they put it up. I will pay three per cent, which is just over the current national rate of inflation. Three per cent of £60 is an extra £1.80, so I will pay that and no more."
"The council can please itself. It can take me to court or it can put me in prison. I hope other people will take a stand and not pay more than three per cent."
"I have written to Lancashire County Council and said that I am in the same position as the lady in the West Country - Elizabeth Winkfield. She is making a stand and so am I."
"I am prepared to go all the way with this. A lot of people have commented on my plans and I have had a lot of support.''
Defending her position, Mrs Kaul said the council ought to cut costs by dealing with problems like benefit cheats rather than punishing honest residents.
She also called for something to be done about the countless empty buildings in Accrington, adding: "The town is sinking below the waves. The council is just wasteful."
