However, the council emphasised that no decision had been made, and for now debts will be collected using regular monthly updates of the electoral register – which it called ‘normal fashion’.

Local SNP politicians have urged the local authority stop pursuing poll tax arrears with ‘immediate effect’, and refund all arrears payments made from the period commencing October 2 of this year.

The poll tax returned to the headlines again this month after it emerged local authorities were using the electoral register to chase outstanding bills using the details of more than 4.2 million people who registered to vote in the Scottish independence referendum on September 18 – the largest electorate ever in Scotland.

In response, the First Minister Alex Salmond said the Scottish Government would bring in new laws to stop councils pursuing people for historic poll tax debts.

The controversial poll tax was introduced to Scotland in April 1989 by the UK Conservatives, before being replaced by council tax in 1993. As of March this year, the outstanding community charge in Argyll and Bute was more than £7.5 million.

Mr Salmond told MSPs it was misguided for councils to use current records to chase debts from decades ago.

Helensburgh Central councillor James Robb said: “With the First Minister’s announcement on October 2, 2014, it is important to clarify the situation and remove any overhanging threats from those affected as quickly as possible.

“It will end the misery of the one token victim actually paying poll tax arrears out of almost 27,000 cases in Argyll and Bute. It also rules out any witch hunt for those with poll tax arrears who have become re-engaged with politics and enrolled on the electoral register for the referendum. This failed Tory experiment in Scotland is finally over, consigned to history but never to be forgotten.” A spokesman for Argyll and Bute Council said: “As of March 31, 2014, the outstanding community charge in Argyll and Bute was £7,549,133.83. Most of this amount is subject to prescription as it is now more than 20 years since the summary warrant was obtained. For those debts not yet prescribed we will continue to collect in the normal fashion.

“The council is considering writing off community charge debts but as yet no decision has been made.

“Our council tax team receives regular monthly updates of the electoral register, which is then used to ensure the council tax register is accurate; this will continue as normal.”