Tony Bell with his letter from Swale council after a Facebook "joke"

by Lewis Dyson

Stretching the truth on Facebook is fairly common, but a Minster man's online joke almost cost him his council tax discount.

Former Thamesteel worker Tony Bell changed his relationship status on the social networking site to say he was married to a colleague on Boxing Day.

But the 51-year-old, of New Road, receives a 25% reduction in his council tax for being a sole occupier.

"it is just an invasion of privacy it is absolutely disgusting..." – tony bell

In February, he received a letter from Swale council to say information had been "gleaned" that he married on December 26.

It added that if the information was correct it would mean he was no longer eligible for the £24 relief.

Mr Bell believes someone at the council must have been snooping on his Facebook page because the letter referenced December 26.

He thinks further checks should have been made, which would have revealed he was not being deceitful.

"I am sure they have the rights to births, deaths and marriages so why didn’t they check them?” he said. “To me it is just an invasion of privacy it is absolutely disgusting."

Mr Bell said he and the woman changed their marital statuses online as a joke to "wind-up" gossiping co-workers at his former job as a carer.

He said: "Since we were working together we got friendly with these other people and some of them are very nosey.

"So we put that on Facebook, as a wind-up, to say we got married just after Christmas and then the next thing I know I get this letter through the post."

Mr Bell worked for 35 years at the Thamesteel steelworks before being made redundant when it closed in January last year.

He found work as a carer in October, but was recently let go and is now unemployed.

Swale council has now dropped the challenge.

A spokesman said: "We will not discuss an individual's circumstances.

"We have a duty to protect the public purse and carry out regular reviews in relation to single person discounts for council tax payments.

"Any information gathered, which may put a claim in question, is acted upon.

"On some occasions, claimants may simply forget to update the council on a change of circumstances; alternatively it could be an act of fraud."