Ealing residents have a chance of winning £5,000 if they register to pay their council tax bill by Direct Debit before 5pm on 30 September 2016.

The draw is part of the national council tax campaign launched by Bacs Payment Schemes Limited (Bacs), the not-for-profit organisation behind Direct Debit in the UK.

To be in with a chance of landing the £5,000 prize, residents must register to pay their council tax bill by Direct Debit by returning a completed Direct Debit Instruction form by post, signing-up to Direct Debit online or calling tel: (020) 8825 7050 (Monday to Friday 9am-5pm).

Residents who already pay their council tax by Direct Debit will automatically be entered into the draw.

For local authorities collecting Direct Debits is cheaper than processing cash and cheques and also helps to ensure council tax is paid on time.

Residents stay in control as a Direct Debit can be cancelled any time.

Yvonne Johnson, Ealing Council cabinet member for finance and performance, said: "The clock is ticking to be in with a chance of winning the £5,000 prize, so I would encourage anyone who is thinking of paying their council tax by Direct Debit to consider switching now."

"Not only is it a simple, safe and secure means of payment for our residents, it also saves the council time and money when processing payments, which can then be invested in services elsewhere."

Dawneth Perry, Bacs local authority specialist, said: No one likes having to pay bills, but at least with Direct Debit you can save time sorting your monthly outgoings, and avoid forgetting about those important payments."