A CONTROVERSIAL tactic to send bailiffs around to 4,000 Worcester homes has been defended by the city council's leader - who has urged people to "pay their dues".

Councillor Simon Geraghty has warned that more city householders could end up with a knock at the door if they try and dodge their debts.

As your Worcester News revealed last month, the city council sent 4,173 debts to bailiffs in just one year - including a staggering 38 per cent leap in council tax referrals.

The figure, which makes up a substantial portion of the 10,000 council bailiff callouts across Worcestershire in 2014/15, has come under fire from debt advice experts.

Councillor Geraghty said: "I think the people of Worcester expect that nobody should get a free ride, that would be patently unfair.

"I think actions to recoup people's debts as long as it is fair and reasonable is what we should be doing.

"We've always got to reflect upon it to ensure valid decisions are made, and we'll always support people if they get into difficulties where we can, but everyone has got to pay their dues."

Lesley Meagher, corporate director of resources, said: "They are an absolute last resort for us as a council.

"We do various vulnerability checks on people we're chasing up, there's a documented framework we work around, it's not a free-for-all where the bailiffs can just decide what to do."

The comments, made during a city council cabinet meeting, were prompted by opposition Labour councillors concerned at the findings.

The Money Advice Trust has slammed the use of bailiffs, saying it "deepens debt problems rather than solves them".

Joanna Elson, the chief executive, said: "Our research shows councils who use bailiffs the most are actually less effective at collecting council tax arrears."

In Worcester some 97.6 per cent of council tax due from householders was collected in 2014/15.

During the year Worcestershire's councils referred debts to bailiffs 10,299 times including 2,854 in Wychavon, 1,023 in the Wyre Forest, 1,794 in Redditch and 455 in Bromsgrove.

Although most of it is down to council tax the data for 2014/15 includes all debts owed by the public including parking fines, housing benefit fraud, business rates or any other rents.