COUNCIL tax summonses have nearly doubled in 12 months — but finance officers in Burnley have collected £1.3million more for the authority’s coffers.

An extra 6,500 households have to pay a proportion of the bill after changes were introduced last year.

The number of council tax reminders for the third quarter of the year rose from 11,980 to 21,315, from 2012-13 to 2013-14 while the number of summonses similarly rose from 3,651 to 6,464 and liability orders, for unpaid charges increase from 3,168 to 5,585.

Councillors on the audit committee were told the overall collection rate has dipped slightly from 83.17 per cent to 81.46 per cent.

But the income received is £1.3million up on the same point last year.