Council-owned garages are falling into disrepair at a time when demand and rents have hit an all-time high, says a Tory councillor.

Garages in Brighton and Hove have been selling for as much as £30,000 in some prime sites and others command rents of up to £100 per month.

Yet many owned by the council are empty and nearly derelict.

Councillor Brian Pidgeon, one of the newest members of the council, has called the situation "scandalous".

He was contacted by residents living near Rotherfield Crescent, in the Stanmer ward.

They complained that at least half in a block of ten behind their homes were not being used.

Two of the council-owned garages even had small trees growing in front.

When he questioned officials about how many more garages were vacant in his own Patcham ward, he was told 24.

He said: "The council wants to get cars off the streets, yet they are allowing assets which would help ease the situation to go to waste."

Helen Furlong, the council's neighbourhood services manager, told Mr Pidgeon only two council tenants had expressed an interest in renting the empty garages in Rotherfield Crescent. One was in the process of being let.

Not all the ten garages are council owned.

Residents of Rotherfield Crescent, Patcham, were angry the garages had been allowed to fall into disrepair.

William Allum, who used to keep a lorry in the garage area, said: "There are too many cars parked on the side of the road here and if people were able to use decent garages for their cars, fewer vehicles would not have to weave in and out of the parked cars."

Mary Bonwick, who has lived in Rotherfield Crescent for 30 years, said: "There used to be a waiting list. Now nobody seems to want them because they are falling into disrepair."

A spokeswoman for Brighton and Hove Council said: "We are not ignoring the situation. We do have designated teams who repair and look after garages. Our priority is to maintain our housing stock.

"The council is undertaking a review of the way it runs and lets garage and parking spaces."