Basildon Council has come up with a perfect solution for people who can't afford to buy their own home - buy half of it.

Councillors hope that by getting tenants to take shared ownership of their homes under the right-to-buy scheme, the council's repairs bill will be reduced.

Tony Ball, the council's cabinet member for housing, said: "With the price of houses we should give our tenants a chance to buy a part of their house if they cannot afford all of it.

"It will the repair cost away from the council to the owner."

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