ALMOST five million pounds in council tax and business rates went uncollected in the borough last year, according to a new report.

Analysis by public services union GMB reveals more than £4.2m in council tax and £787,000 in non domestic rates were not collected during the financial year 2009/10.

With the annual bill for the same period on a band D property in Bromley totalling £1,288.98, the amount of council tax missing was the equivalent to tax on more than 3,200 homes.

Across the capital all 33 councils combined failed to collect £247m in council tax and business rates.

Westminster was the worst offender at £28m, followed by Southwark at nearly £13m and Hammersmith & Fulham with around £12.1m.

Bromley had the 28th highest uncollected amount in London.

GMB regional secretary for London Paul Hayes said: “This level of uncollected local taxes cannot be accepted at a time when there are deficits in the public finances which are giving rise to cuts in public services and job losses at a time of high unemployment.

“Councillors, in past years, have dismissed this annual analysis by GMB and instead claimed to be doing very well.

“This is not good enough.

“Instead they should join GMB in asking Parliament to change the rules to make non payment virtually impossible.”

A Bromley Council spokeswoman said the council will collect the outstanding tax.

She said: "As a council we have a reputation for managing our resources effectively.

"This includes using all the powers at our disposal to recover any money due to us including council tax and national non-domestic (NNDR) rates.

"As the data shows, Bromley’s collection rate in 2009/10 for council tax was 97.3 per cent and for NNDR 99 per cent.

"However, we want to emphasise that this shows the position at the end of the financial year and we will continue to collect any outstanding money beyond this."