Great-grandfather, 71, in 28p council tax rebellion is ready to go to jail

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Great-grandfather Walter Staniforth, 71, has refused to pay £256.43 since October.

He and his severely disabled wife Mary, 68, who live on pensions and allowances totalling £200 a week, pay council tax of £639 a year on their three-bedroom home in Swinefleet, near Goole.

Yesterday Mr Staniforth asked Goole magistrates to excuse him the arrears owed to East Riding of Yorkshire council.

Without a lawyer, he told them he calculated that 28p in every pound of council tax went into the council's staff pension fund.

He said: "I have paid towards staff pensions, laptops and mobile phones and there has been no public consultation over council tax rates."

Magistrates threw out his request and ordered him to pay the outstanding bill, plus £70 costs. If he still refuses to pay, a further hearing could be arranged where he is jailed.

Outside court Mr Staniforth, who walks with a stick after a double knee replacement, said: "It looks like I'm going to jail, but it doesn't frighten me.

"They have not listened to one thing I said. Why should I pay out of my pension for these people to live a lavish lifestyle?

"I have paid taxes all my life and now they are making us scrap and scrape to get by. I should be able to live with what pension I have. They are not allowing me to do that."