SWINDON councillors who have failed to pay their council tax on time have chosen to remain anonymous.

The Adver had requested a review of a decision by the local authority which originally cited data protection laws as a reason for refusing to identify the individuals who had been summonsed or sent reminder notices.

Swindon Council agreed to ask the representatives if they would consent to being unmasked – but all of the councillors refused.

Officials then turned down the request under the Freedom Of Information Act asking for the names to be released.

The Adver originally revealed the debts in December.

The details emerged as the council prepared to bill thousands of the borough’s poorest people for the first time under new austerity measures.

Five reminder notices were issued to councillors between 2010 and 2011, for £180.94, £354, £855, £186.15 and £29.15.

Two councillors were summonsed for £855.00 and £680.15.

Eight warnings were sent between 2011 and 2012 for £177, £177, £356.98, £195.93, £139.93, £138, £138 and £690.

Three councillors were summonsed for £708, £652 and £721.93 In the current financial year five notices have been issued for £356, £276, £274, £353.24 and £61.82.

All the amounts from the three-year period have since been paid.

Martin Wicks, of the Swindon Tenants’ Campaign Group, had questioned whether the councillors had “voted for the change resulting from Government policy which means poor and impoverished people have to pay 20 per cent of their council tax.”

The council’s refusal notice said: “The council considers that the information requested is the personal information of the councillors concerned and not part of their public life.

“As a consequence, the council did seek consent to release the information and also took into account the personal circumstances of the individuals concerned.

“The council considers it would cause distress to the individuals and may lead to an unwarranted interference with their privacy if the information were to be released.

“It understands there is a public interest in knowing how councillors are performing public duties as councillors, but it does not think this means they have no right to privacy when it comes to their financial affairs.”