A SUICIDAL resident forced into bankruptcy by Torbay Council over an unpaid council tax bill has described his compensation offer of £1,000 as a 'nonsense'.

The council has made the £1,000 offer despite Ombudsman recommendations that it should pay the man £25,000 after a report last year found wrongdoing by Torbay Council.

The resident, named only in papers as Mr C and who wants to retain anonymity, said: "The amount they have offered is a nonsense, I would not take it, I would just say forget it."

Ombudsman Dr Jane Martin and her deputy met Torbay Council's chief executive Elizabeth Raikes in November to discuss the offer.

An ombudsman spokesman said Dr Martin's position on the level of compensation 'remains unchanged'.

She said: "The Ombudsman's view is unchanged, and discussions with the council continue.

"If the council do not agree with the Ombudsman's original conclusions then the Ombudsman is obliged, by law, to issue a further report."

She said the report is to formally ask the council again, to agree with the Ombudsman's recommendations.

The case went before South West ombudsman Dr Martin in May.

She heard the man had been made bankrupt and was out of pocket to the tune of £24,000 because of its actions recovering an unpaid council tax bill of £2,500.

The man's debt has now risen to £45,000.

Mr C said he feels no ill will towards the authority.

He said: "I am just relieved to have survived a very dark period in my life.

"But the bottom line is that I am almost £45,000 in debt because I owed the council £2,500."

Dr Martin ruled Torbay Council had mishandled the situation when the resident was unable to deal with his financial affairs.

He was suicidal, had become a recluse, refused to open the door and let unopened letters mount up.

A bailiff said he had flagged up his concerns about the resident's mental health with the council's solicitor, but action against him was still pursued.

She said that the way the council handled the case amounted to maladministration causing injustice and recommended a £25,000 payout and formal apology.

Dr Martin said at the time: "It is a high figure and I do not regularly recommended that amount on a day-to-day basis.

"But I considered the expenditure made by the complainant should be reimbursed by the council with an amount to address the distress caused to him by that maladministration."

The Ombudsman found the authority should have thought again before pressing ahead with the proceedings when a bailiff warned of his frail mental state.

She said that the authority had failed to document its decision-making and had failed to reconsider its decision to pursue bankruptcy when information came to light that Mr C might be considered suicidal.

A Torbay Council spokesman said: "We held a meeting with the Ombudsman in November. She has now sent us a letter which we are considering, and we will reply to her in due course.

"It is not appropriate for us to publish the terms of our offer, but the Ombudsman is fully aware of our position."