Nearly 50,000 non-payment reminders went out in the past year

The town's deputy mayor, Margaret Ward, said the arrears, some dating back to the introduction of council tax in 1993, were "astonishingly high".

She said: "The people of Doncaster who pay their council tax on time are quite right to be appalled that some of their neighbours are not paying their share."

The council would try to track down all tax dodgers even if it meant trawling through records up to 14 years old.

"Non-payment is not something we take lightly and we will continue to chase those who do not pay," said Mrs Ward.

"The council is always looking for new ways of recovering arrears and now uses national data sources and tracing agents to trace absconders and external bailiffs where people move out of our area.

"We are still collecting a few payments that have gone through the court process from 1993/94 when council tax was first introduced in England."

Thousands summonsed

The total value of outstanding council tax arrears as at 31 March 2007 was �7,791,426.35.

Arrears still remain for all years from the start of the scheme in 1993. A total of �482.51 remains outstanding for the financial year 1993/94.

In 2006/07 the council issued 49,738 reminders for non-payment of council tax, 17,026 court summons and obtained 12,297 liability orders from the court and 1,292 cases proceeded to committal court.

Recovery for non-payment of council tax can include attachment of earnings, benefits and allowances, bailiff action, committal to prison, instigating insolvency action such as statutory demands and bankruptcy proceedings.

"However," said Mrs Ward, "we also want to remind people that whilst we will take a hard line on those who don't pay, there is help available for people who are experiencing problems and would urge anyone in this situation to contact us immediately."

And however large the unpaid tax figures may seem, they represent only a small percentage of the council's total tax take.