SCORES of town centre traders are involved in legal proceedings after they refused to pay a mandatory fee to fund Barrow's Business Improvement District.

More than 100 businesses in Barrow failed to pay the charge used to provide services and put on events in the town centre.

Barrow Council, which collects the payment, took 124 ratepayers to court after they failed to pay the BID levy.

And around 70 traders are preparing to take their legal fight further.

Magistrates referred the case to a district judge, with another hearing scheduled to take place.

Several businesses who have failed to pay the levy are members of the Barrow BID Concerned Ratepayers group.

A spokesman for the group said around 40 ratepayers were part of the BBCR.

A total of 71 cases are progressing through the court with another hearing at South Cumbria Magistrates' Court to take place in December.

Individual businesses have not been named on public court papers.

There are 460 town centre business that are charged the BID levy.

A spokesman for the BBCR said the group had a legal argument to back up its case.

He said: "We are confident if we are given a fair hearing we will win the case."

The group is hoping that if the legal challenge is successful then members will be reimbursed all the BID charges since it was established in 2016.

This year businesses voted in the majority to renew BID for another five-year term.

A BID levy is used to develop projects which will benefit businesses in the local area.

There is no limit on what projects or services can be provided through a Business Improvement District.

The only requirement is it should be something that is in addition to services provided by local authorities.

Colin Garnett, the manager of the BID, said: "The BID levy gives us a budget to improve the town.

"If people don't pay it it diminishes the events that we're able to put on.

"It's been a tough year so I'm sure businesses have got their reasons for not paying.

"It's quite shocking when you hear all the people who are late payers but it's been an exceptional year for small businesses."

Barrow Council said anyone who does not pay the levy, a percentage of a business's rateable value, can expect enforcement action through a liability order.

Enforcement agents can recover the fee if no arrangements to pay are made.