TWO councillors have faced court action over not paying their Council Tax.

Details released under the Freedom of Information Act reveal the two members to be Tendring councillors Peter Cawthron and KT King.

Mr Cawthron is a Ukip party member who sits outside the Ukip group on Tendring Council.

In 2015/16, the Alton ward member was entitled a members’ allowance of £5,112.

Earlier this month, Mr Cawthron tweeted he had faced summonses with regards to non-payment of council tax, but he was now making monthly payments. He said this was not news and journalists should instead pursue stories about shortages in education.

But he has now said his father died in 2015 and since then, he has been “involved in an acrimonious and very distressing probate dispute in the high court”, plus another related case.

He said: “The administration of my personal finances has sometimes been neglected during that time.

“2015/16 was paid as a lump sum and 2016/2017 is being paid monthly. The arrears will be cleared before any council vote on budgets in which I would be unable to vote if in arrears.”

Mr King is part of the Holland-on-Sea Residents’ Group and was entitled to a £5,112 members’ allowance last year, when he was also issued a final notice and summons for non-payment.

Mr King said he had missed a payment leading to a reminder letter and this week he paid more than £300 of arrears in full.

He said he had “totally ignored the letter” as he had been “busy running around” attending family funerals and dealing with a new business which is based in Norwich.

He added: “Everything is up to date now.”

Tendring council spokesman Nigel Brown confirmed both councillors still have an outstanding balance regarding council tax and payment is being pursued by the council as is the case with all Council Tax debt.

“Cllr Cawthron received a court summons in June for non-payment of Council Tax as well as a liability order.

“A current balance is still outstanding and is being deducted by attachment from his Member’s Allowance,” Mr Brown told the Gazette.

“In terms of Cllr King, he received a final notice in September and if the balance is not cleared by October 18 then he will be issued with a court summons.”