Bailiffs were called in to collect unpaid council taxes and parking fines in more than 6 million cases over the past three years. Almost 5 500 cases a day are passed to "debt recovery agencies" by councils in the UK.
The figures, released to the civil liberties group Big Brother Watch under the Freedom of Information Act, come after concerns that bailiffs harass or intimidate those who owe money.
The 320 local authorities which responded to the survey passed 4.5 million cases to debt recovery agencies for non-payment of council tax and 1.4 million cases for non-payment of fines for parking infringements between 2007/08 and 2009/10.
Edinburgh and Glasgow councils topped the list of those that used bailiffs most frequently, calling in debt recovery agents more than 280 000 times between 2007/08 and 2009/10- more than 250 cases every day. The director of Big Brother Watch, said:
I don't count any debt as "trivial" and suggest that if people don't pay what is due, what other options are there? I hate with a passion scum bags who run up debts and then try and walk away from them simply because they can't be bothered to clear their debts. Don't borrow in the first place and do without.
The figures, released to the civil liberties group Big Brother Watch under the Freedom of Information Act, come after concerns that bailiffs harass or intimidate those who owe money.
The 320 local authorities which responded to the survey passed 4.5 million cases to debt recovery agencies for non-payment of council tax and 1.4 million cases for non-payment of fines for parking infringements between 2007/08 and 2009/10.
Edinburgh and Glasgow councils topped the list of those that used bailiffs most frequently, calling in debt recovery agents more than 280 000 times between 2007/08 and 2009/10- more than 250 cases every day. The director of Big Brother Watch, said:
"The government must act now to end the culture of bully-boy debt collection which has taken hold in town halls across the country. Sending in bailiffs to recover debts should always be the absolute last resort. The fact local councils have passed more than six million cases to bailiffs for matters as trivial as the late payment of council taxes and parking fines is truly shocking."
I don't count any debt as "trivial" and suggest that if people don't pay what is due, what other options are there? I hate with a passion scum bags who run up debts and then try and walk away from them simply because they can't be bothered to clear their debts. Don't borrow in the first place and do without.
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