A Gloucestershire council got a taste of its own medicine when a bailiff turned up at their offices seeking money owed to a resident.

Enforcement agents are often used by local authorities in seeking unpaid council tax after initial reminders are ignored.

But roles were reversed in November when a bailiff visited Forest of Dean District Council’s offices in Coleford seeking to obtain debt owed to a resident.

Payment was sought for costs linked to one of the 93 planning and enforcement appeals the authority has lost over the last seven years.

Councillor Bernie O’Neill (Progressive Independents, Ruspidge) raised the “shocking situation” at a full council meeting, which heard how there are seven other cases outstanding.

He asked the council leader to confirm that bailiffs had to atte

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