RESIDENTS in 78,000 Swindon households may have had an unpleasant surprise when they checked their post this morning.

Council tax bills have been sent out for the new financial year and, as most people will already know, they are between 15 and 16 per cent higher than last year.

The total varies slightly from parish to parish but a typical Band D household will pay £1,041.27 this year, compared with £903.32 in 2002/03.

The amount payable varies from £694.18 for a Band A home to £2082.54 for one in Band H.

At the lower end of the scale are small one-bedroom flats and caravans and at the top end would be a substantial mansion.

Council tax rates are worked out based on a home's market value in 1991 - council tax came into force in 1993 replacing the controversial poll tax.

The majority of households in Swindon choose to stagger the cost of paying the charge over 12 monthly instalments and the first of these is due in just two weeks' time.

You can pay by cash at the post office, by cheque or by direct debit.

Swindon council leader Kevin Small (Labour, Western) today justified his administration's 15 per cent council tax rise today saying it would improve services.

Coun Small said: "When you compare the rise that we have in Swindon with the rest of the country we are only slightly above the national average and the overall charge is slightly below the national average.

"The budget we have put forward has protected services and made investment in the areas people want.

"The rise is equivalent to the cost of a daily paper and will provide £6m extra for education, £2.5m for social services, £200,000 extra for street cleaning and £70,000 for tackling abandoned cars.

"The Conservatives wanted to increase car park charges and cut services and the difference between their budget and ours was just 5p a day."

Conservative group leader Mike Bawden (Old and Lawns) said: "You can't keep pouring money in without a root and branch review of services at the borough council.

"When the new chief executive arrives we need a major review of services in the borough council and the way they are delivered - that doesn't automatically mean cuts.

"Pouring money into something doesn't always mean you get better services."

Council Liberal Democrat leader Mike Evemy (Eastcott) said: "The council tax is an unfair tax. It hits those on relatively low incomes, who cannot claim benefits, particularly hard. Pensioners and those in work on low incomes are hardest hit. The council tax takes no account of your ability to pay the amount is directly related to the value of your house.

"The high levels of council tax now seen across the country were not foreseen when the Tories invented the tax to get out of their poll tax mess in 1990. The time has now come to abolish it only the Liberal Democrats have pledged to do this."