COUNCIL tax payers in Suffolk have been hit by a "double whammy" thanks to the Labour Government and labour-led county council.That was the message to Tory activists by party chairman Theresa May during a visit to Suffolk today.

COUNCIL tax payers in Suffolk have been hit by a "double whammy" thanks to the Labour Government and labour-led county council.

That was the message to Tory activists by party chairman Theresa May during a visit to Suffolk today.

She was in Stowmarket to give a pep talk to Tory candidates and councillors looking forward to this year's local government elections.

Wearing her familiar multi-coloured stilettos she put the boot in into the county's decision to back an 18.5 % council tax rise.

"People in Suffolk have been hit by a double whammy – John Prescott has taken money away from shire counties in the South of England, while in Suffolk the Labour led administration has increased spending still further," she said.

She met the Tory activists at a private lunchtime meeting after visiting the Icanho Centre for people suffering from head injuries and strokes.

During her visit there centre manager Pam Nicholson explained how it had been set-up as a partnership between local charity The John Groom Trust and the Health Service.