Two derelict houses could be lived in once again, after the council granted compulsory purchase orders.

The owners of the homes, a three-bedroom house in Kew and a large end-of-terrace house in Richmond, failed to take action to make them habitable despite repeated attempts by Richmond Council to get in touch with them.

The council will go through a legal process to take on ownership of the houses and then sell them on the open market.

Councillor Lisa Blakemore, cabinet member for housing, said: "The use of compulsory purchase orders is an absolute last resort for councils.

"It is reserved for empty properties that have been left in an uninhabitable state for a number of years.

"Housing is an invaluable commodity and it’s about time something was done to return these two family homes to the property market."