RESIDENTS have been thanked for what senior council officers called an ‘extremely good’ performance in paying council tax.

More than £482,000 has been written off as irrecoverable council tax debt which equates to less than 0.2 per cent of the council’s income.

Chief finance officer Lynton Green said: “Everyone knows money’s tight, and we feel it’s a great credit to our residents that the vast majority of them pay their council tax in full and on time.

“We remain dependent on residents paying their council tax if we’re to keep providing the standards of service which people in Warrington expect.

“The council aims for 100 per cent recovery of all debts but realistically there will always be some that become irrecoverable.”

Every year, the council sets out to collect £86 million in council tax, £108 million in business rates, £58 million in miscellaneous income and £2 million in housing benefit overpayments.