CONSERVATIVE candidates have been forced to amend a leaflet after making a typing error over council tax charges for Birchwood residents.

The leaflet, which features Nigel Balding and Peter Linton, highlighted Birchwood Town Council's precept.

It criticised Labour councillors for 'continuing' to raise taxes and keeping them 'well ahead of the average for Warrington'.

The leaflet claimed that in 2015 Birchwood's precept for a band B property was £94.30, although it was meant to refer to band D.

But Cllr Russ Bowden (LAB – Birchwood) labelled the information as 'scaremongering'.

He said: "They got it all wrong about the tax on the leaflet and it conveniently compares Birchwood to Culcheth, rather than Croft.

"David Cameron doesn't know the cost of a loaf of bread or pint of milk. Tories in Birchwood don't even know the cost of local council tax.

"We have a full maintenance team here who do a lot of work and are responsive – it is a great service from the town council.

"Tories want to cut the precept, which will involve jobs. Most of our staff live in Birchwood, so which one of our friends or neighbours do they want to put out of work?

"I know many parish councils in Warrington are envious of what we deliver in Birchwood. It comes at a price but we think it offers value.

"It is silly-minded politics – they are just interested in getting out a statement without thinking whether it is a sound policy."

Cllr Balding confirmed the leaflet has been amended online.

He added: "It does look like we made a typo in our leaflet – 'band B' should have read 'band D', which is the nominal band for setting rates.

"However, the fact remains that residents in Birchwood pay four times as much in their parish precept as the average in Warrington, whichever band property they live in.

"I am surprised that Labour councillors think that parishes in other parts of Warrington are envious of the very high precept levied on Birchwood residents.

"When asked, local residents seem to be agreeing with us that the precept tax has run away with itself as Labour councillors continue to increase this annually."