Woking has the worst record for uncollected council payments in Surrey over the last year according to latest figures.

In all some £1,773,000 of payments in Woking remained unpaid .

The startling figures were revealed in a report which showed that more than £10m of council tax payments went uncollected in Surrey during a 12-month period.

Figures obtained in a Freedom of Information Act (FoI) request showed borough and district councils failed to collect £10,164, 975 in 2010/2009.

Woking Borough Council and Elmbridge were owed the most money. Runnymede had the smallest outstanding debt of £460,000.

The figures represent between about 0.8% and 2.2% of all council taxes.

The reasons for non-payment can vary, e.g. can't pay, won't pay, bankruptcy and absconding.

The FoI request also revealed that £819,355 was still owed to the authorities from 2005/2006 financial year.

　

Council Tax Arrears 2009/2010

Guildford Borough - £1,394,874

Surrey Heath Borough - £533,980

Waverley Borough - £694,286

Epsom & Ewell Borough - £596,999

Woking Borough - £1,773,000

Reigate & Banstead Borough - £1,321,000

Mole Valley District - £566,791

Elmbridge Borough - £1,507,864

Spelthorne Borough £1,311393

Runnymede Borough £464,788

Tandridge District - N/A

The figures were labelled completely unacceptable by the GMB Union. It has called for the rules to be revamped to make it almost impossible for people to avoid paying council tax.

Paul Maloney, of the GMB, said: "I think it should be included in the rent that the landlord is charging. That would resolve the problem.

"If a landlord is letting a house or houses then they pay the council tax and recover it as part of their rent process from the tenants."

People have been urged to seek help as soon they start having problems paying their council.

Ann Valentine, of the Citizens Advice Bureau, said people did not realise how quickly things could escalate.

She added: "We have people come in who seem genuinely surprised when they are taken to court relatively quickly for non-payment of council tax.

"Once that escalation kicks in, it kicks in very fast."