DAVID Curry MP has asked a Parliamentary watchdog to investigate the taxman's bungled handling of a Skipton pensioner's tax affairs.

Dino Reardon spent two years fighting the Inland Revenue, after it wrongly claimed he ran a pigeon breeding business.

He and his wife, Olive, were left shattered when an incorrect claim for £25,000 in back tax landed on their doormat.

Olive went on to suffer stress disorders as a result of the shock.

Although Dino was paid a substantial amount of compensation following an extensive investigation last October, he is determined to reveal the mistakes he doesn't want to happen to anyone else.

As part of his campaign he has enlisted the help of Skipton MP Mr Curry, who has offered Dino his support.

Mr Curry told the Herald: 'I have written to the head of the Inland Revenue and he has said that the case was badly handled and, therefore, offered compensation to Mr Reardon.

'I want to know if there are any disciplinary procedures which have been involved.

'Mr Reardon has been on the wrong end of some bad decisions and that's got to be put right so that it doesn't happen again. I will, therefore, be pursuing this to its conclusion.'

Mr Curry has written to the Parliamentary ombudsman and asked him to examine Dino's complaints.

Dino, 66, says he is grateful for the help given by Mr Curry throughout his two-year saga.

'David has made a lot of enquiries and done a lot of research on my behalf and I thank him for that,' he told the Herald.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.