SWINDON Borough Council is refusing to name the serving councillor who was taken to court for failing to pay their council tax last year.

A freedom of information (FOI) request has revealed that the unnamed councillor was ordered to pay £981.62 by magistrates after reminder letters failed.

Non-payment of council tax by councillors is a serious matter and can result in those concerned being barred from attending budgetary meetings where tax matters are being discussed.

In the case of the unnamed Swindon councillor, their day in court was enough to prompt a rethink and the money was eventually paid.

A spokesman for the council said: “We would not release the details of a member of the public in such circumstances.

“While we appreciate there is public interest in knowing how councillors are performing in their duties, we believe the councillor in this case is entitled to the same right to privacy.

“This is because the councillor concerned was disputing the amount owed and, once this was resolved, the amount outstanding was paid in full.

“This amount was also paid months in advance of the setting of the council tax for the following year, and so the councillor was not barred from voting under section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act.”

Other local authorities were not so willing to shield their councillors from public scrutiny - nearby Oxford City Council and West Oxfordshire Council both provided the names of those elected representatives summonsed to court as well as the amounts paid.

In a landmark FOI appeals ruling in March of this year, a judge ordered Derby Council to release the name of a councillor summonsed to court after they too had refused to disclose it.

Judge Kate Markus QC said it was “not reasonable” for a councillor to expect not to be identified and that non-payment was a serious matter of public concern.

She added: “I conclude that disclosure of the identity of the councillor is necessary to achieve the objectives of transparency and accountability.”