Councils prevented 22% more cases of council tax fraud this year compared to 2017/18, new figures have revealed.

Research published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) found 71,000 cases of council tax fraud were prevented by local authorities in 2018/19.

The 2019 CIPFA Fraud and Corruption Tracker (CFaCT) also found that the cost of business rate fraud to councils has fallen to £8m from £10m on the previous year.

Rob Whiteman, chief executive of CIPFA, said: 'Fraud continues to be a critical issue for local authorities. Many councils have worked diligently to implement new counter-fraud strategies, and the figures tell us those efforts are working.

'The unlawful diversion of funds away from local authorities only adds further stress on vastly underfunded public services. The sector is moving in the right direction, but only a greater focus on collaboration and preventative measures will help create long-lasting change.'