FURIOUS campaigners have vowed to fight possible council tax rises, which they fear would force many south Wiltshire residents out of their homes.

As the Salisbury Journal reported last week, both Salisbury district and Wiltshire county councils predict their budgets will be desperately stretched, after the government gave them less cash than anticipated to fund vital services.

Although the process of working out next year's council tax is still under way, many predict soaring bills to meet the deficit.

But members of the Dorset and south Wiltshire Is It Fair? campaign say council tax hikes are already out of control, and they are calling for a new system based on householders' ability to pay.

Local organiser Nick Sherman said: "We have got to the stage where people simply can't afford to stay in the homes they have lived in for years because of enormous council tax bills.

"There are families who have to choose between oil for their heating or paying the bill and others who have no choice but to move when they retire."

The campaign started earlier this year, in the face of an average 70 per cent council tax increase since 1997.

More than 200 local people have joined the fight, sending letters of protest to MPs and planning to attend a rally through London on January 17.

Mr Sherman added: "We are calling on the government to scrap this unfair system and come up with a new solution, according to what people can afford.

"We are not a political group and it's up to the politicians to come up with the proposals, but we can't carry on like this."

Salisbury district council is expecting a well-below-inflation increase in the grant it receives from central government, while Wiltshire county council is being forced to spend the majority of its extra £12.8m on education, leaving little more in the budget for road building, arts and culture and other services.

Both local authorities say they will try to keep council tax rises to a minimum but feel they have been short-changed.

The Is It Fair? campaign has the backing of the Royal British Legion and Help The Aged, who say pensioners will suffer most if bills continue to spiral.

"The government should not underestimate the strength of feeling about this," said Mr Sherman.

"There will be an increase in direct action - people will refuse to pay.

"It is vastly unfair that, in some places, a Band D house is the same price as one in Band H in another area.

"Our money is being wasted.

"People can't afford to live in their own homes and we will not put up with it any more."