ALMOST £300,000 has been “written off” by Worcester City Council in unpaid taxes from the public, it has emerged.

A total of £297,000 in council tax and business rates was written off by finance bosses in the 2011/12 financial year – with critics labelling the move “unacceptable.”

The move means over the last two years the council has decided to remove more than £1 million of cash it is legally owed from the balance sheet.

A total of £760,000 was written off in 2010/11 after bosses decided to lump a long list of historic unpaid taxes together.

There are lots of reasons why people don’t pay council tax – which can include relocating somewhere else in Worcester, moving away from the county or abroad, and some deaths.

But some people refuse to pay, an action which leaves them at risk of prosecution. The most common reason for business rates not being paid is companies folding.

Councillor Richard Boorn, Labour’s finance spokesman, said: “As a taxpayer, I think it’s unacceptable to let people get away with it and I’m very concerned.

“It is simply wrong for anyone not to pay – for all those taxpayers who do fork out, they are subsidising those who don’t.”

The city council has cut £1.4 million from spending in the last two years and is planning to cull at least another £850,000 by 2016.

Council chiefs say they only write off money owed when it becomes either impossible to recoup, or too expensive.

About 98 per cent of the taxes owed to the council was collected last year, a small improvement on 2010/11.

Overall £48 million was handed over in council taxes and £37 million in business rates.

Lesley Meagher, finance services manager, said: “Council tax and business rates income have both increased compared to the previous year.

“If a debt is written off, it is still due in law, and if new information comes to light we will continue to pursue any outstanding money.”

Councillor Andy Roberts, cabinet member for finance, added: “We have to take bad debts off the balance sheet, but we keep all the records of it and it does not mean we cannot go knocking on doors in the future if new information comes to light.

“In some cases you can’t get blood out of a stone, and businesses do go bust. That will always be the case as that’s enterprise.”