Protestors are set to gather outside Tottenham Magistrates court on Wednesday in support of a local vicar’s fight against council tax.

The Reverend Paul Nicolson, who is refusing to pay the tax on grounds that it disproportionately affects those on low income, will appear at Tottenham Magistrates on Wednesday as part of his long-running legal battle with Haringey Council.

He will be supported by members of Taxpayers Against Poverty, who plan to gather outside the court with placards.

In August, a liability order was issued against Rev Nicolson, aged 82, for his refusal to pay council tax. He has also been asked to pay court costs of £125.

Rev Nicolson argued that the fixed £125 figure charged by Haringey Council to cover the court costs is arbitrary, pointing out that Enfield Council only charges £70 for liability orders heard at Tottenham Magistrates Court.

He said: “It seems as if the magistrates have slid into a habit of acting as an administrative arm of the council rather than an independent judiciary.”

Rev Nicolson, who will appear in court at 1.30pm, is expected to ask the magsitrates to adjourn his case as he is waiting to hear the date for the High Court hearing ordered by Mr Justice Foskett in April.