An activists' group is up in arms about a council's landlords' licensing scheme as not fit for purpose and labelling it as being 'too small minded' to have any real effect on 'rogue landlords'.

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The Acorn Activist group says that Newcastle City council's licensing scheme, that has just been passed by councillors, is wholly inadequate.

Acorn tweeted: “A victory for private tenants in Newcastle. Today the council passed a recommendation for selective and additional licensing in the city. The area is TOO SMALL and this recommendation to partially licence is NOT ENOUGH. Join us to fight for more.”

Previously the council had favoured a proposal to implement a licensing scheme costing landlords as much as £750 for each of their properties, would apply to 9,377 HMOs as well as 3,664 privately let units.

The activist group is outraged that the numbers of properties now due to be licensed is 5,500 units short of the council's original proposal.

The council's original proposal was subject to a formal consultation process and a trade association stated their concerns which included that only good landlords would actually apply, whilst rogues would 'turn a blind eye' and dismiss the scheme.