Croydonians looking to get on the first rung of the housing ladder may be able to get a grant to help them buy and renovate properties that have been empty for six months or more.

The council's plans could also see landlords receive a renovation grant of up to £25,000 for bringing a property back into use and selling it to first-time buyers.

At present around 4,000 properties sit empty in the borough - something the council is hoping to address at a meeting of the cabinet on Monday.

Since the strategy was first introduced in 1996, 1,500 of the 5,800 homes empty at the time have been brought back into use.

Councillor Dudley Mead, cabinet member for housing, said: "Severe housing shortage in the borough means that we are constantly looking for new ways to bring empty homes back into use.

"Alongside helping first-time buyers, more incentives to persuade landlords to bring abandoned properties back into use, will also help."