AN Army veteran has called on Taunton Deane Council to reveal how much money it has spent on a four-year battle to make him pay 1p in council tax.

Dennis Darch, of Rockwell Green, who served in Northern Ireland, claims he does not owe the 1p the authority is pressurising him to pay, in a dispute dating back to the 2004- 05 tax year.

Mr Darch, who has been medically discharged from the Army, said: “I have proof that I don’t owe a penny, but even this makes no difference.

“I was told over the phone in 2004 that the penny was written off. They now say they have no record of this.

“I am left not knowing what's going on. I would like to know how much money Taunton Deane has spent trying to recover this penny.”

Mr Darch has turned to the Wellington Town Council offices to help resolve the query.

He added: “The Wellington office phoned Taunton Deane to sort it out – or so I thought until yet another bill arrived and the penny is still there.

“I’m worried sick about what other charges will suddenly appear – when you are on a low income, paying any extra amount makes a big difference.”

A spokesman for the council said: “Taunton Deane Council cannot comment on individual cases.

“In general terms, the council must work out council tax liabilities to six decimal places.

“Sometimes, minor adjustments will be necessary where small financial anomalies occur.

“We would not take recovery action to pursue a debt if we did not consider it to be economically viable or in the public interest to do so," the spokesman added.