Council house tenants are being offered grants of up to £20,000 to buy a home on the open market.

The scheme has been set up by Eastbourne Council to try to free up homes for families on the waiting list.

To qualify, residents need to have lived in a two, three or four-bedroom council house for more than a year and kept up with rent payments.

Any tenants applying for the scheme must also be able to show they are able to get a mortgage and not fall into arrears.

Councillor Ann Murray said: "This is an excellent opportunity for our tenants to get on to the home ownership ladder."

More than 100 families have already taken advantage of the offer and moved to new homes around the country.