A BROADWELL man was shocked when he tried to pay his council tax with cash at Coleford Council Offices.

"Cash? I don't think we do that here," he was told at the counter – but a cheque or a card payment would be fine.

"I was totally amazed. I couldn't believe it," said Geoffrey Allen, who had taken the money out of his Post Office account to pay the bill.

"I said, 'do you really mean you don't take cash anymore?' and he said to wait and see if somebody could be found to help.

"He went away and I waited for a good 20 minutes but nobody showed up so I said I could not wait any longer, so what should I do? The man said I should go home and he would get somebody to ring me about it.

"I said that since I had offered the cash and been turned away, what would happen if I was taken to court for non-payment? However, he said he didn't make the rules, he just carried them out. So I came home – and I'm still waiting for a call."

Retired Mr Allen, 80, said he paid a previous bill by cheque. He does have a bank account but would first have to pay money in, a transaction costing 60p, then draw a cheque costing another 60p.

Forest of Dean District Council has been asked to comment but the Review had no response at the time we went to press.