Thousands of poll tax debtors across the district were given the strong message from Bradford Council today: "You must pay up."

The Council has called off bailiffs due to take furniture from more than 2,100 houses today after floods of calls from distraught residents.

But Council leader Councillor John Ryan said today although the operation has been called off temporarily, bailiffs would be retained to collect the £4.5 million debt still owed.

But Coun Ryan said they were having meetings with the private bailiffs, Madagans, about the tactics the Council was prepared to accept to collect the debt.

Pandemonium erupted across the district this week when families received letters from Madagans saying they would turn up with furniture vans today to take goods to auction.

Hundreds of people said they had forgotten about the debt, which went back eight years, and many people said they had already paid it.

Now Council officers are investigating the mountain of complaints and separating which debtors can pay but will not.

Bernard Gover, Madagans' managing director, said they would be sad to take goods but it was their job to collect the debt.

He said they had been collecting £30,000 a week since the Council employed them a month ago. A further £100,000 has been paid into Council offices.

But the Council, advice centres and Telegraph & Argus were deluged with calls after people received their final letters.

Residents said the situation was made worse because telephone calls to the bailiffs' offices were permanently engaged.

Today a spokesman for Bradford Citizens' Advice Bureau said many people thought they need not pay as bailiffs had been called off. But he stressed they must carry on sending payments previously arranged or come into the CAB where advisors would help them to arrange instalments.

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