A PUB landlord has said he would rather go to prison than pay a court fine.

Ricky Park, who owns Ricky’s Bar on Leeds Road, was taken to court by Kirklees Council over unpaid tax.

But he said he always pays his monthly bill in advance.

Mr Park said: “In July I sent Kirklees two cheques – £300 for my business rate and £82 in council tax for my flat above the pub.

“When I got a letter in August saying I was in arrears I assumed it was a mistake caused by the postal strike.”

Mr Park, 51, then went on holiday to Turkey for a week. When he returned home he was shocked to find a letter summoning him to Huddersfield Magistrates’ Court on October 16.

He said: “I phoned the council to say I had already paid and it turned out they had mixed up my two cheques. The woman I spoke to said she would sort it so I decided not to go to court.”

But on October 20 Mr Park found the case had gone ahead in his absence when he got a letter demanding payment of £773 plus £98 costs.

He is adamant that he owes nothing in arrears and is refusing to pay the court costs.

Mr Park said: “I think it’s shabby that I’ve been fined for paying early. There’s no way they are getting that £98 off me. If anything they should pay me £98.

“If I have to have a week off to go to prison then I will. It will be a holiday for me because I will get three square meals a day and won’t have to work.”

But a spokesman for Kirklees Council’s Revenues and Benefits Service said the mistake had now been rectified.

He said: “Mr Park contacted us to say his council tax and business rate payments had been transposed.

“We amended his records, but unfortunately failed to stop the recovery action against his business rate account meaning he received a court summons in error.

“Mr Park contacted us again and we immediately removed the costs that had been added to his account.

“We have already written to Mr Park to confirm our recovery action has stopped and costs have been removed from his account.

“We would like to thank him for speaking to us, as it has enabled us to correct our error as quickly as possible.

“We would like to apologise for any distress caused.”