REBEL pensioner Nellie Copson has been forced to cough up her outstanding business rates to the council after years of legal wrangling.

Miss Copson's debts of £3,103, which included money she owed Wychavon District Council in legal costs and bankruptcy fees, were paid to the council via the trustee in bankruptcy, who had been investigating her financial affairs.

The 83-year-old has been taken to court by the council on numerous occasions for failing to pay the business rates for the financial years 1999/2000 and 2000/2001.

She was even jailed in January 2000 for a previous £2,726 debt, but released after two days following a massive "Free Nellie" campaign in Droitwich.

The feisty pensioner - who the trustee in bankruptcy discovered has £80,000 in savings - escaped jail in August when a district judge decided she was too old to go to prison.

Miss Copson had refused to pay because her shop had been vacant for a number of years, but under law she was obliged to pay 50 per cent of business rates.

She claimed the property was not suitable for business use and wanted it converted into a flat, and refused offers from the council to find a suitable tenant.

Miss Copson, who has lived in a flat above the shop all her life and owns another premises which is leased to a watchmaker, remained tight-lipped today.

"I don't want to say too much at the moment," said Miss Copson. "I've written to the Law Society about this.

"I haven't given Wychavon the money, they've taken it off me."

The council's managing director, Sid Pritchard, said the authority had a responsibility to collect business rates.

"In my view, it would have been wrong to write off this debt simply because of Miss Copson's age," he said.

"She was clearly in a better position to make payment than many other elderly people who strive to make sure they make their payments on time."

Wychavon District Council's head of revenues, Liz Dyde, said the move was pleasing, but warned that if Miss Copson refused to pay up again next year she would be pursued for the money.

"The council's action in this matter has been totally vindicated," she said.