Barking and Dagenham council properties repossessed following housing raids
Three empty council properties are being repossessed and more might follow after housing officers found people illegally subletting and two illegal immigrants.
The early-morning raids were carried out on two consecutive Saturdays and officers visited 11 addresses in total.
At one property, a person was subletting but charging the tenants an extra £600 over what the council charged.
Of the two illegal immigrants arrested by police, one had overstayed their visa by about 10 years.
The properties will be taken back by the council and made available to families on the housing waiting list.
You may also want to watch:
Cllr Mick McCarthy, cabinet member for housing, said: “Council housing is a social service, not a private business and the homes are for people who need them to live in. Those who lie and deprive others by abusing the privilege will be hit the hardest.
“This initiative has shown that the presence of housing officers and the police on our estates working together to tackle tenancy fraud is a welcome development.”
Most Read
- 1 Marvel movie blockbuster Black Widow filmed in Dagenham
- 2 Dagenham man sentenced after flying kick at cop during Black Lives Matter demo
- 3 Storage building next to disused Dagenham pub destroyed by fire
- 4 Man in hospital after being found with facial injuries in Dagenham
- 5 Dagenham pastry chef wins patisserie award
- 6 Guilty: Who was jailed across east London in July?
- 7 Watchdog upholds 90pc of complaints against council, figures show
- 8 Dagenham author pens novel to mark centenary of Becontree Estate
- 9 Tube strike suspended to allow for further talks
- 10 Teenage pedestrian in hospital after Dagenham crash
