As much as $6 million of unpaid tax from companies and businesses on the Island has either been recovered or is in the process of being wrestled from the clutches of reluctant payers.

Attorney General Larry Mussenden referred to "two pit bull lawyers" who are chasing up the money with a combination of legal threats and court action as he revealed the extend of the tax avoidance being investigated by the Auditor General's office.

Speaking at a meeting of the Senate, Sen. Mussenden said: " We have a debt enforcement team and we have two young lawyers ? I call them my pitbulls ? and they go out and carry out instructions to stop at nothing to chase up all those who come up on the Auditor General's 'worst list' (of payers).

"This year, because they have threatened employers with court proceedings, they have recovered $2.5 million. There is another $3.5 million that they are chasing through the courts."

He said money would come back into the Government coffers as would unpaid taxes due from betting shops.

"There is a betting tax that should be remitted to the Government, but we have found some betting shops have not been remitting this, so I have set the pit bulls out."

Sen. Mussenden added: "Some $700,000 is being chased in that area. We will sue to get our money, we will wind up the companies. We are not going to allow people to mess around with the Government's money. The pit bulls are out there doing the Auditor General's work."