East Lothian Council is warning residents to be wary of scam calls asking for thousands of pounds to “challenge council tax bands” on behalf of residents.

The council said it had been made aware of the calls by a number of locals saying they had been contacted by callers telling them that their council tax band had gone up, with one resident being told their band had gone from E to B.

The callers are then asking for thousands of pounds to “challenge” the increase on the resident’s behalf.

The council warned that this is a scam and that it is not responsible for setting council tax bands.

Anyone with concerns about their council tax band should contact the Assessor for Lothian Valuation Joint Board for free.

An East Lothian Council spokesperson said: “We're aware of local residents receiving calls advising them that a company can challenge council tax bands on their behalf on payment of a fee. his is a scam.”

“East Lothian Council is not responsible for setting council tax bands, it is the Assessor for Lothian Valuation Joint Board who residents can contact for free."