ALL he wanted to do was pay his council tax over 12 months instead of ten.

But for that simple request, Bursledon pensioner Maurice Bennett was summoned to face magistrates.

The 71-year-old former RAF fireman had been hounded by Eastleigh council chiefs since March when he explained he could not pay £1,147.42 over the shorter period.

He devised a scheme to spread the sum into 12 monthly instalments to fit in with his pension - enabling him and his wife Molly to keep their heads above water.

But civic bosses say they would lose more than £150,000 in interest if they were to extend payment schemes over 12 months and would have to charge extra on council tax to make up for the shortfall.

Now they have relented and agreed Mr Bennett, of Oakhill Close, can pay his council tax bill as and when he can.

The deal was struck outside Southampton Magistrates' Court today just minutes before the grandfather-of-three was due to face demands for payment of his council tax in full - a sum of £882.

Outside court, Mr Bennett, a stained glass craftsman, said: "I am angry they have wasted my tax money to bring me to court for money I have already agreed to pay them. I feel angry and upset.

"I am just one person. There are a lot out there who are too frightened to speak up.

"When you are counting pennies as a pensioner it makes a tremendous difference. We

are talking in pence not pounds."

Before the deal was reached, Christine Melsom, founder member of the Is It Fair? organisation, which lobbies for the abolishment of council tax, said that by law people were entitled to pay over 52 weeks and many councils had adopted this.

She said: "Eastleigh council has opted for the ten-month option but Mr Bennett's case is cruel - why can't they let him pay over 12 months?"

Council leader Keith House said that alternative arrangements for payments could only be made if individuals demonstrated real financial hardship. "Mr Bennett has not done that and as a result we have to make sure that we recover the council tax properly. We have a duty to all taxpayers to do so. Eastleigh has a low council tax.

"We have looked at payments over 12 months but calculated that it would result in a £150,000 loss in interest. We would have to pay out for community services before council tax had been collected and this in turn would mean adding another three per cent onto the council tax which we don't think is value for money."