My council tax increase for this year is 5.7 per cent Telscombe Town Council decided on a rise of a staggering 25.1 per cent, so the combined charge for it and Lewes District Council rose by 10.4 per cent.

Understanding that the Government caps council tax charges which increase by more than five per cent, I wrote to Telscombe Town Council which explained its imposition by saying it was not able to dip into reserves and wanted to provide a better grass-cutting service.

I wrote to Mr John Magness, director of finance at Lewes District Council, who didn't reply; to my MP, who passed my query to the relevant minister, Mr Phil Woolas; to the office of the Prime Minister, which passed the letter on to the office of the Deputy Prime Minister, and I have had a protracted correspondence with the latter.

The upshot seems to be that normally the Government will cap council tax rises of more than five per cent which are made by the main authority - in my case, East Sussex County Council - and by the police and fire services.

The Government will not cap rises made by district, town or parish councils.

So, if a subsidiary council makes an increase so great it pushes the overall increase - the one we have to pay - to more than five percent, it's a pity but so be it.

I am assured "the Government is keeping the situation under review".

Better luck next year.

-C Dunn, Saltdean