IN response to the letter from Mrs Baker about the 12,000 council tax letters we issued, in which she believes "a large percentage owed not one penny" (August 4).

This is not correct. More than 98 per cent of the letters issued correctly showed that people owed some council tax.

I can also confirm that it is not the case that everyone who paid their April instalment early had an incorrect reminder issued.

However, I apologise to the small number of people who have been sent the reminder letters incorrectly, often because payments were in the "system" but not, at the time we produced the reminders, showing on their accounts.

I thank those who paid their council tax and business rates after they received their reminder and I am delighted that we have collected an additional £1.5 million compared with the same period last year. We will be pursuing those who have not paid, nor contacted us, through the courts.

If anyone needs to talk to us about their council tax or business rate account, they should ring 551178.

James Drury,

Assistant director of resources,

City of York Council,

Library Square,

York.

Updated: 11:33 Monday, August 16, 2004