PLAID Cymru - The Party of Wales' North Wales AM Janet Ryder has launched a petition to scrap the Council Tax and replace it with a local income tax based on people's ability to pay.

Shadow Minister for Education, Ms Ryder, invited Shadow Local Government Minister, Dr Dai Lloyd AM, to her Ruthin office for the launch of the petition which is seen as a major campaigning tool for the party's prospective parliamentary candidates in North-East Wales.

Ms Ryder said: 'Council Tax is essentially unfair because it takes no account of ability to pay and hits the poorest hardest. In rural areas property values have soared yet average wages remain low.'

She added: 'The aim of this petition is to replace the Council Tax with a local income tax based solely on the ability to pay.'

Prospective Parliamentary candidates, Mark Jones, Vale of Clwyd, Mark Strong, Clwyd South and Richard Coombes, Alyn and Deeside joined the Assembly Shadow Ministers for the launch.