SELF employed carpenter Anthony Laws was jailed today for failing to pay outstanding council tax of �11,000 to Fenland District Council. Laws, who has sold a number of properties while owing thousands to the council, was jailed for 70 days. He appeared i

SELF employed carpenter Anthony Laws was jailed today for failing to pay outstanding council tax of �11,000 to Fenland District Council.

Laws, who has sold a number of properties while owing thousands to the council, was jailed for 70 days.

He appeared in custody at Wisbech courthouse after being arrested on a warrant issued back in November 2007.

Nigel Adams, representing Fenland Council, said: "It has taken considerable work to get him here; he has shown a reluctance to pay."

Laws, 61, of Green Lane, Walsoken, had paid nothing off his council tax debt since February 2007, added Mr Adams.

Back in August 2006 magistrates warned Laws that he would be jailed for six weeks if he failed to pay �50 a week off a debt that totalled �8,878.23, and payments were late and erratic.

Mr Adams said Laws' case had been ongoing since 2006. "He sold two properties in 2004 realising �37,000 in equity, and offered full payment from this, which failed to materialise," he explained.

Laws sold two further properties in 2007, and a further property was repossessed earlier this month.

This week Laws still owed more than �7,000 from the original debt dating back to 2006, along with another �3,941.48.

Solicitor Oliver Barrett said that Laws had been forced to give up work due to ill health.

"He does not have a stable address, he stays with various people," he said.

Presiding magistrate Peter Waterfield told Laws: "You have had the means to pay this debt in the past, but you have chosen not to do so.