Home seekers 'could benefit from reduction in empty properties'

People seeking to buy a home in the UK may benefit if the number of empty properties across the country is reduced.

This is according to David Ireland, chief executive of the Empty Homes Agency, who said vacant residences could make a "significant contribution to housing supply".

While it would not replace the number of new houses needed entirely, it would go some way to meeting the demand for domiciles, he suggested.

Mr Ireland remarked: "If something were done to really reduce the number of empty homes, actually it could be a source of housing supply for a few years."

It could make a difference for a considerable length of time, he added.

His comments were made in the wake of the publication of figures by the Guardian.

Information it gathered through the Freedom of Information Act showed that around 450,000 homes in the UK have been unoccupied for at least six months.