THE Swindon council tax bill for year 2003-4 is outright robbery for pensioners. Does this council not give the least consideration to its population of old age pensioners and the trivial increase in state pensions of 2.6 per cent, in line with the current loss of living index?

My Band E property assessment for tax year 2001-2 was £962, for 2002-3 it increased to £1104 and now for 2003-4 it is £1,272; an increase in three years of £308, or 33 per cent.

How are we OAPs supposed to be able to find monetary increases to contend with the absolute thoughtlessness of our council on behalf of us, the local Swindonians, who have spent their lives here supporting its development and progress to its present standard?

I am in my 80th year. Surely I and many more colleagues and lifetime friends deserve a little thoughtfulness when it comes to making council tax demands?

Why can't you councillors make some percentage reductions on the pensioners' council tax, in accordance with their age.

A 70-year-old could pay two-and-a-half per cent, a 75-year-old four per cent and an 80-year-old five per cent.

And why can't our council revert to a period of 12 months again for the payment of the council tax, thereby reducing the tax payment per month and giving 52 weeks to pay?

I would urge all senior citizens to please write and declare their feelings and observations to the council rather than ignoring the problem as they did, in not supporting the petitions or attending the council meetings when the decision of the 15 per cent increase was made.

So come on all of you 15,000 seniors and make your presence and feelings known.

R D WALDRON

The Mall

Swindon