COUNCIL tax protesters were taking their message to the streets of Felixstowe today – as hundreds of people backed calls to cap the tax.Meanwhile in Ipswich a new campaign to see council tax replaced by a local income tax was being launched by Liberal Democrats.

By Paul Geater

COUNCIL tax protesters were taking their message to the streets of Felixstowe today – as hundreds of people backed calls to cap the tax.

Meanwhile in Ipswich a new campaign to see council tax replaced by a local income tax was being launched by Liberal Democrats.

Members of the apolitical pressure group PACTS (People Against Council Tax in Suffolk) were getting shoppers in Felixstowe to sign petition forms demanding no more massive tax rises.

They were also handing out Evening Star Cap the Tax petition forms inviting people to sign them and return them to us.

Reg Hartles from PACTS was looking forward to getting a good reaction on the streets of Felixstowe.

"We always get welcomed by the people wherever we go," he said. "There is a great deal of anger out there.

"We're getting on for 4,000 signatures – but it could be a lot more if we had the time. There's no problem getting people to sign.

"When we went to Sudbury people were signing at the rate of 13 every two minutes!"

The protesters' presence in Hamilton Road was marked by Evening Star Cap the Tax posters giving people the chance to come up and sign the petition.

"This is something everyone can do," said Roger Marchant, who was also getting signatures today.

"We know it's difficult to get people who are busy at work to take too much of a role in a group like PACTS – but this is something they can do to make their voice heard," he said.

Meanwhile Liberal Democrats from across Suffolk were at County Hall today to launch their own petition calling for council tax to be replaced by a local income tax.

The petition was being launched by county council executive members Peter Monk and Kathy Pollard, who is standing for the party in next year's European elections.