Cold calls being made to residents telling them they are in the wrong council tax band are giving them incorrect information, a local authority has said.

Tendring District Council said some ratepayers have been contacted by a commercial firm claiming the authority is working with it to re-evaluate people’s council tax bands.

However the council says that is not correct, as the Valuation Office Agency is responsible for setting rates.

Carlo Guglielmi, the council’s cabinet member for finance and corporate resources, said: “We would like to make it clear that we are not partnering with any company over ‘correcting’ council tax bands, as this is not an area we are responsible for.”

Information on council tax bands, and how to challenge them if you think your property is paying the incorrect rate, can be found at the Valuation Office Agency website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/valuation-office-agency