A piece of research carried out by a leading building society suggests that the average price of council tax has risen at a rate three times that of the Retail Price Index (RPI) over the past decade.

The average bill for UK households has risen by 91% according to the Halifax building society - whilst the RPI has only gone up by 31% since 1997. Conservative MPs describe the reported increase as the Labour Party's 'biggest tax con', whilst the charity Help the Aged suggests that the rise is a 'disgrace'.

Ten years ago the average property could expect a council tax bill of £564 per year - this average now stands at £1078. In their survey of 408 billing authorities, the Halifax found that the biggest increase was seen in Monmouthshire at an astonishing 184%. Overall, this report shows that nearly half of all areas have seen the price of the annual council tax bill double.

The Shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary Caroline Spelman said that the government have increased council tax bills by around £12.5 billion every year in the past ten:

"Gordon Brown must take the blame for ten years of inflation-busting council tax rises. Bills have gone up by the equivalent of four pence on income tax thanks to fiddled funding from Whitehall, yet Labour ministers seek to blame councillors when bills hit the doorstep..."

The Liberal Democrats are also calling for a reform of this 'deeply unfair tax'.