TWO councillors were summonsed to court for not paying their council tax, The Bury Times can reveal.

Labour Cllr for Radcliffe West, Rachel Skillen, and Conservative Cllr for Elton, Michael Hankey, who help determine council tax rates, both fell behind on their payments in the 2015/16 tax year to such an extent that Bury Council issued court proceedings against them.

Both elected members failed to turn up at their respected Bury Magistrates Court hearings — though they were not obliged to attend — and liability orders were obtained, giving bailiffs the authority to get the money from the pair.

In each case, the councillors paid their council tax for the year within a few months of the court cases.

They have both apologised for not leading by example.

The issue is important as failure to keep up with payments would have prevented the councillors from voting at the vital Budget Council meeting at the town hall in February.

Voting at that meeting under such circumstances would be a criminal offence.

However, both elected members were allowed to vote because their payments were up to date by February.

Campaigners from the Taxpayers' Alliance have emphasised the need for councillors, who decide what the council tax should be each year, to practice what they preach.

"The problem is that councillors are not like anyone else when it comes to council matters," said a Taxpayers' Alliance spokesman.

He added: "They have been elected specifically to ensure the machinery of local government is run efficiently and effectively — and that includes paying their own council tax on time.

"Ordinary residents who pay up on time are entitled to know which of their councillors aren't doing the same.

"Councillors must pay on time to set a good example and to ensure that essential services are properly funded."

He added that, while it is unfortunate that even councillors are hit by financial problems beyond their control, it is vital that they seek help from the council at the earliest opportunity — as they would advise a constituent to do.

Using Freedom of Information law, the Bury Times asked the council for details of councillors who had been late paying their council tax in the 12 months up to the end of March.

A key court ruling in favour of our sister publication, The Bolton News, in March, means that, for the first time, councillors are obliged to name elected members who are summonsed to court for non-payment.

The response showed four councillors were sent reminders for late payment and, of those, Cllr Skillen, who represents Radcliffe West, and Cllr Hankey, who represents Elton, still did not pay up, so they were sent court letters.

Cllr Hankey owed £883.04, while Cllr Skillen owed £1,009.18. Both of them paid off their bills and each had to pay an extra £88 to cover the council's courts expenses.

"Full payment was made during the financial year and prior to the Budget council meeting," said a Bury Council spokesman.

Both councillors have spoken to The Bury Times at lengths to talk about their final problems at the time of the court action.