A FORMER medic has hit out at a council for threatening her with court action for failure to pay council tax, despite her setting up a direct debit.

Patricia Faulkner of Parkeston, was summoned to court by Tendring Council for failing to pay two installments.

She sent a letter to the council to dispute the allegation after receiving an initial notice of failure to pay but never got a reply.

Ms Faulkner, 54, says the mistake, which has left her unable to sleep, should never have happened.

She said: “Now I don’t have to go to court which is good but the slightest noise and I burst into tears. I didn’t want this stress. There shouldn’t have been this mistake.”

A spokesman for Tendring Council said: “We are unable to comment on individual cases due to concerns for data protection.”