A CRACKDOWN on council-house fraudsters means two deserving families will be able to get homes, it has emerged.

Two Slough properties have been reclaimed by Slough Borough Council’s tenancy fraud investigators after it was found that they were being sublet illegally.

A two-bedroom house in Wexham and a one-bedroom flat in Cippenham will now be offered to two of the hundreds of families on Slough’s housing waiting list, saving the council about £40,000 a year.

The tenant of the property in Cippenham was a woman who spent most of her time abroad in recent years and was letting a family member live in her council home.

The Wexham flat was occupied by a woman who had failed to declare that she part-owned another property. Her tenancy was terminated and she was given a criminal caution for making a fraudulent application for a council home.

Councillor Zaffar Ajaib, commissioner for housing and urban renewal, said: “We’re facing unprecedented demand for housing in Slough, with hundreds of families in genuine need of a council home. We simply cannot stand by and allow people to stay in properties they don’t need, and we will use whatever methods necessary to stop it from happening.”

If you suspect anyone of committing tenancy fraud call 01753 787876 or report it online at www.slough.gov.uk.