Within certain areas of Stoke on Trent ,the owners of 100 empty homes are being offered taxpayer-funded loans of up to £20,000 to bring their properties back into use.

The council has found properties in the Tunstal and Cobridge area that have not been in occupancy for over six months and they are offering the owners, a large percentage live away from the Potteries, loans that they can borrow against their equity to clean up their houses so they can be let out to tenants.

But landlords who fail to snap up the offer face enforcement action and could even have their properties seized.

This opportunity is part of a £3 million Cluster of Empty Homes programme to help tackle the housing problem in the two areas of the city, and in the Cobridge area properties are being sold for only one pound.

Councillor Joy Garner, cabinet member for housing, said: "Properly maintained, occupied homes are the foundations for thriving communities, whereas empty homes only detract from an area's vibrancy and can too easily become magnets for anti-social behaviour.

"Leaving a habitable home to fall into disrepair is the last thing we want and should be the last thing any owner or private landlord wants.

"Instead of generating a useful income, an empty home is not only losing money but may also be amassing substantial debts. Some homes will need work to bring them up to the right standard, which owners may struggle to afford. But we can help them secure finance to get this done and transform their property from a liability into an asset. The improvements are going to bring much-needed stability to these communities and make them more attractive."

4.3 per cent of Stoke City's houses are empty which accounts for nearly 5,000 potential homes, of which 2,592 have been empty for more than six months.

The two areas come under the council's selective licensing scheme, where landlords must abide by certain conditions to let out properties.

Steven Pritchard, chairman of Portland and Century Residents' Association, said: "Whether this works depends on each landlord. I'm sure some will take up these loans. But the council will need to take enforcement action against those that don't."