There are literally dozens of websites devoted to the stupidity, corruption, laziness and lack of common sense of local councils in the UK. The satirical magazine Private Eye also has its "Rotten Boroughs" column - a brief perusal of which is enough to put you off paying Council Tax for life - especially as (apparently) an average of 27% of council tax is used to provide the gold plated index linked pensions of officials.

Local councils have been given draconian powers to impose spot fines as a part of central government policy of devolving power to local communities. Unfortunately, local councils rarely represent their communities - many have become largely self-serving accretions of inept officials and councillors whose prime concerns are gold plated pensions, revamped entrance foyers and generous expense allowances. This is a pity, because many local council officials still do try and do a good job.

Some local councils abuse their powers in a quite spectacular fashion and yet are rarely if ever challenged in court because it is supposed (probably correctly) that the local courts would always side with them - so why bother?

Others don't use their draconian powers at all. For example, the seafront at Sidmouth continues to be littered with chips and other food waste because dotty visitors and residents feed seagulls. In other areas, council officials take a more robust approach to litter - but being morons in uniform, they simply don't know where to draw the line.

Here are two of dozens of snippets available on the Derby Gripe website.

LITTER LOUT

Sixth former Oliver Thomas’s lunchtime snack cost him a £50 fine, because a slice of tomato fell out of his sandwich. Oliver had no time to pick it up before a council warden “appeared from nowhere” filling out a fixed penalty ticket. Now he must pay up or face the prospect of a £2,500 fine. A spokeswoman for Leeds City Council backed the warden and said the ticket had to be paid. She added, "The only things that like messy streets are rats. If you don’t want to pay a fine, then don’t drop refuse".

LITTER HITLER

A litter warden fined householders for fly-tipping when he found their stolen mail dumped in a park. The thief had tried to burn the letters which had been taken from a post van. But the trainee warden photographed the charred remains and sent the £50 demands to the 28 addresses he could still make out. A Manchester council spokesman said, "Staff have visited the residents concerned and offered personal apologies. This incident resulted from an error by a newly-appointed street warden. The warden has since undergone further training."

Here is another example from Derbyshire - where Erewash Borough Council and a local engineering firm appear to have been competing to see who can act with the most indifference towards a largely powerless group of householders. Granted that the houses in question may not be 'upmarket' - but should a local council behave in such a manner towards any group of taxpayers? Here is the website - www.councilanddeveloper.net Of particular note is the reported behaviour of Derbyshire police. However, this will come as no surprise to anyone who has lived in Derbyshire and read the many local press reports over the years about poor police performance, 'empire building', and plush offices funded by Council tax.

From Derbyshire to Dover District Council - and to a planning dispute that has dragged on for 24 years. Local government officials who perpetrate maladministration never need fear for their jobs - they are more than likely to be promoted out of the way and given enhanced index linked pensions. Councillors (as always) prove themselves useless. And are we surprised that the local MP seems pretty useless too? This website has other useful links.

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