Warning on 'bogus tax collectors'

As Saturday's deadline for payment of the controversial household charge looms, it is estimated that just 30 per cent of Meath households have so far paid the €100 tax. As Meath County Council extended its opening hours this week to facilitate the payment of the charge, it also emerged this week that opportunistic thieves have been calling to households posing as council workers calling to collect the household charge. A council spokesperson warned the public to beware of such callers who had approached a number of houses in the Kells area. She said no council staff members had been deployed to collect the household charge. Last week, amid confusing signals over steps that would be taken to collect the charge, the government warned that council staff would call to houses who had not paid the charge after the deadline expired. As protests continue against the charge, up to 500 people from all over Meath attended a rally in Navan on Saturday against the Household Charge and in protest against cuts in services such as education and health, which was organised by the Community Against Cuts Campaign. A large delegation from the Meath Don't Register, Don't Pay Campaign also travelled to Dublin at the weekend for a rally at the National Stadium. To read the full story see this week's Meath Chronicle.