Douglas Borough Council is making life much tougher for individuals and businesses who are slow to pay their rates.

Rate demands fall due for payment from April 1 each year and everybody has three months, until June 30, to claim the five per cent discount.

However, in the last financial year a number of people failed to make that deadline, and 512 default summonses were issued.

Officials at the town hall are frustrated by this lack of response, and Council leader David Christian says a new approach is now being taken: