THE leader of Kennet District Council has condemned as "intimidation and blackmail" the Government's threat to cap councils who raise their council tax by more than five per cent this year.

Speaking at yesterday's meeting of Kennet's budget reduction sub-committee, Coun Chris Humphries said the Government had taken a bullying attitude towards councils who complain of increased responsibilities put on them by central government while having their support grant cut.

Kennet councillors last year agreed, after finding £1.2 million in budget cuts, to set a 14.5 per cent increase in council tax for the next three years.

But they received a shock in November when they found out that, instead of receiving an expected three per cent increase in their grant, they were to receive a cut of about the same amount, meaning they would have to find a total of £297,950 in either budget cuts or increases in council tax. However, they reduced the rise they will recommend to 12.36 per cent.

But when local government minister Nick Raynsford wrote to councils to say that any council which raised its council tax over five per cent faced "capping", Kennet felt it had to try to reduce the proposed hike to below ten per cent.

Coun Humphries said: "Capping would be a nightmare. It is typical of the intimidation and blackmail we have been subjected to by this Government."