THREE council homes in the Winchester area will be sold off to fund the upkeep of existing properties.

Civic bosses agreed last Wednesday (September 16) to market two houses on Colebrook Street and Alresford Road in Winchester and one on Jesty Road, Alresford.

Winchester City Council (WCC) said that because of a shortfall in funding from central Government it needed to raise money to finance repairs to its other homes.

But Lib Dem councillor Lucille Thompson, who represents Stanmore on the authority, attacked the policy.

She said: "You're just selling your assets to fund a revenue shortfall and doing so at the bottom of the market.

"Selling both the Alresford Road and Jesty Road properties does nothing to help the families on the waiting lists.

"Think about the message you're sending both to our existing tenants and those on the waiting lists who are in need of three-bedroom homes."

Richard Botham, head of landlord services at WCC, said the authority would have had to spend between £12 - £25,000 to bring two of the properties up to the minimum letting standard.