MORE than a thousand people, furious over the huge hike in council tax demands, have bombarded West Devon's offices with telephone calls since the bills were sent out last month.

Officers have had to answer calls from mainly Tavistock householders demanding reasons why this year's bill has gone up by over ten times the inflation rate.

Their anger has been prompted by a 400 per cent increase in the town council element of the tax — the rise is blamed on the cost of ongoing legal action relating to repairs to town council properties.

A number of people have visited the council's Kilworthy Park offices personally to vent their spleen on council tax collectors.

Head of commercial services Mark Hall said the situation had been 'very difficult'.

'People have said it must be illegal to put up the rate by so much and are asking why it can't be capped. One person said he was selling up and moving to Plymouth as he could no longer afford Tavistock.'

Mr Hall said he had received letters containing 'harsh words and language'.

This year's council tax figures show West Devon householders' bills are above those paid by Londoners, according to the latest details released by the Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR).

The demands have shocked the local population, having risen by 28 per cent.

Band D — used as a basis for calculating the tax base — for homes in Tavistock has gone up to £988.30 compared with an average £778 in London and is higher than the country's average home, occupied by two adults, which is £847.

It is more expensive in council tax terms to live in Tavistock than Bath, Brighton, Torbay and Windsor.

West Devon is now in the top half dozen of the West of England list — it heads Devon as being the highest rated authority and beats others in Cornwall, Somerset and Wiltshire. Only Stroud in Gloucestershire — virtually a Royal borough these days — and three local authorities in Dorset have a higher council tax.

Rory Ryan, a night-shift worker from Tavistock, said: 'This year's rise is unbelievable and I am furious. People are on low incomes in the West Country and this rise will hit many very hard, including myself.

'I understand the rise is due to work carried out to town council properties but we have been kept in the dark. The town council is behaving like big brother.'

And John Macdonald, of Tavistock, told the Times: 'I have heard various rumours as to why this has come about, but no facts.

'Everyone I have spoken to is concerned about the council tax — some people will find it hard to pay the extra.

'We hear the town council needs an extra £163,000 this year because, we are told, of an ongoing case over repairs to the town hall and other council-owned properties and if it wins we should get our money back.

'But what if it loses? Will we have to find another packet?

'It is our money that is being spent and we are entitled to know why and where it went and is it likely to be as high in the future.'

Town and borough councillor Ted Sherrell, who put forward an idea to convert the car park at the borough council's offices to a pay and display to help generate extra income, said: 'I hope — indeed expect — that the appalling hike in the Tavistock Town Council rate will be a one-off.

'This is in no way to minimise the alarming charge this year or to pretend other than it is a savage blow to ratepayers in an area like ours in which, generally, earnings are low.

'In the long-term though, the more alarming aspect of the council tax is that year on year both the Devon County and West Devon precepts rise well above the levels of inflation — in the case of the borough this year, something in the range of four times.

'We must seek to economise wherever possible — such as not filling posts which are not essential.'

Council taxes for all authorities providing services in the area, including town, borough and county councils and the police authority, appear on one bill.

The town council is prevented from giving full details of the reason for its large increase because the legal action concerning its properties is still in process.