COUNCILLORS in Rossendale have been asked to ‘write off’ bad debts totalling nearly £225,000 for the current financial year.

Bad debts owed to the authority have nearly trebled over the last 12 months, a cabinet report has revealed.

Last year the council’s main outstanding accounts totalled around £90,500 - £83,902 for non-domestic rates and £7,420 for council tax.

The number of firms which went under owing rates has left a £224,404 gap.

One unnamed firm alone owed £172,992, from over a three-year period, after going into liquidation as a result of action taken by the borough council.

Another three accounts, amounting to nearly £30,000, will be rebilled to landlords.. One firm has disappeared without trace, owing £8,624, and another owed £5,433 when it went bust,.