Bailiffs from private companies may be called in for the first time to collect council tax debts from residents in Oxford.

City councillors are considering the move as the council struggles to meet collection rate targets and recover an outstanding £644,606.

The council is also looking to recover £183,695 which is still outstanding from the former Poll Tax.

Officers have already talked to several debt collection agencies but say they are keen to allay misconceptions that surround their operations.

Chris Quainton, service manager for local taxation and Income with the council, said: "In the first instance the main purpose of the recovery agent is to collect money from a non-payer, either settlement in full or to negotiate a suitable arrangement to pay. "Where the recovery agent finds the debtor is unable to put forward a reasonable offer of payment, has insufficient goods or refuses legal access, then the case will be referred back to the city council with a full report of the circumstances of the case.

"It would be proposed that a strict code of practice be drawn up for agreement with any recovery agent taken on by the council."

The collection rate for council tax was below target last year and is unlikely to be met this year.

The council currently employs two in-house officers to collect council tax and business rates arrears. In a report to be heard by the city's strategy and resources sub-committee on Tuesday, Mr Quainton adds: "I anticipate that some 6,000 liability orders will be obtained between December and March.

"I am concerned that little impact can be made on collecting these arrears quickly with the existing resources."

Story date: Friday 26 November

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.