A CRACKDOWN on empty homes blighting Worcester has been backed by council chiefs.

The city council's Labour cabinet has voted to launch a new policy where derelict long-term empty properties are forcibly spruced up using a £50,000 taxpayers' fund.

As the Worcester News revealed last week, powerful laws will then be applied to recoup the cash by putting a condition on the future sale of the house, keeping the fund topped up.

It comes after figures revealed how 47 Worcester houses have been empty for more than five years, most of them abandoned.

The money will pay for the worst three to be repaired immediately, offering relief to neighbours angered by the dereliction.

During the cabinet meeting, councillors said the policy will address "a significant problem" in the city.

Cllr Roger Berry, cabinet member for history and heritage, said: "This has been a significant problem throughout the city - this is an opportunity for the council to do something when a property is causing a nuisance to neighbours.

"Certainly in Worcester there's been circumstances where people have suffered unacceptable problems.

"The intention will be to recover our costs and we can do that by putting an order on the sale of the properties.

"It's not an easy solution, in my view in the past the council has not taken action."

Cllr Geoff Williams, the cabinet member for economic growth and prosperity, added: "If you are one of the neighbours affected, I think residents in these areas would expect the council to take action on this.

"The powers are there, if we can tackle the environmental blight and get more empty properties back into use again it's got to be a good thing."

One of the city's worst homes, pictured above in Mayfield Road, Rainbow Hill, has been empty for 13 years.

The reasons why they are left to rot vary but it can include previous owners dying, owners becoming too frail to stay in them or even landlords refusing to play ball.

A similar crackdown was launched last year in Birmingham, with Worcester City Council saying it hopes to replicate the success of it.

A spokesman for the city council said the addresses of the first three derelict homes to be repaired would be kept confidential.