Couple complain from beyond the grave

Rumours of Peter Gordon's death have been greatly exaggerated ­ by Swindon Council. Mr Gordon was surprised to receive a letter from the council telling him that both he and his wife, Margaret, had died.

The couple received the letter addressed to the executors of Mrs Gordon advising them that a new council tax account had been opened for them. It went on to ask Peter and Margaret for the exact dates when they had died.

Peter, 46, said: "When I read that my wife was dead I thought, that's funny, she looked fine when she went out of the door this morning! Anyway, don't you usually get a policeman coming to your door instead of a letter about your council tax?

"I was absolutely gobsmacked ­ I just couldn't believe what I was reading. I thought ­ is someone playing a prank on me or something? It's a very strange experience to be told you're dead."



Peter immediately telephoned the council and spoke to an operator. "She said that she would pass it on to a colleague because she was going on holiday," Peter said. "I thought ­ is that it? Is that all they're going to say? I want a proper apology for this ­ it's just not on."

But instead of a letter of apology, another letter for the executors of Margaret Gordon dropped through the letterbox ­ this one informing them of a tax rebate. Mr Gordon said: "It's beyond a joke. The fact that this happened in the first place is bad enough but you would at least expect someone to say sorry.

"I don't want anything from the council. I just want them to accept that they've made a really stupid mistake."

A spokeswoman for Swindon Council said: "We apologise to Mr and Mrs Gordon for this situation, which is the result of a human administrative error."