Two householders have lost their fight to reduce their council tax – even though they are paying more than neighbours in identically-built houses.

Michael Purss and Fraser McLellan live in two of a row of six semi-detached properties in Woodstock Way, Kennington, near Ashford but are on the higher tax compared with the four other homes in their street.

Mr Purss and Mr McLellan have been billed for an extra £1,500 since council tax began in 1993 because they classed as Band D, while their neighbours are Band C. They found out about the inconsistency when one of their neighbours, Rene Hadaway, warned them.

But an appeal to the Kent Valuation Tribunal to reduce it was thrown out on the grounds that they had not made their appeal before the deadline – November 1993.

Mr McLellan said: "We are being robbed. We should be paying the same as the others."

He added: "In 1993 we never knew we were paying more, we just assumed that the banding was right. We couldn't ask our neighbours how much they were paying, it's like you can't really ask people how much they earn."

Ward councillor Michael Claughton is taking up the men's case, arguing that others in the country have had their bands reduce since the time limit.

He said: "It can still be done. Mr McLellan and Mr Purss want nothing more than to be put in the correct band, otherwise it is not fair."