The Western Telegraph has been taken to task by the leader and other members of Pembroke-shire County Council over what they describe as negative reporting of the recent increases in council tax.

It's hard to see how a hike in council tax bills can ever be described as positive. Perhaps experts in the field could put a positive spin on higher charges, but here we report it as it is, and for the majority of people in Pembrokeshire, the rise in charges means they will have less cash in their wallets at the end of the month.

It's true that council tax is lower in Pembrokeshire than other areas in Wales, but for families and those on low incomes that's an irrelevance. What does it matter that your neighbour living in a different authority pays more than you?

You are only concerned with what you have to find... and next year we will have to find a bit more.

Perhaps for those people in a position to claim up to £50,000 a year in allowances it's possible to see a positive spin on increased bills - for the rest of us it's vastly more difficult.