The number of “ghost houses” has been dramatically reduced by a council after vandals and squatters repeatedly targeted empty property.

Brighton and Hove City Council came under fire after some of its 200 empty properties, including a million pound Victorian mansion in Preston Road and a Grade II townhouse in Kensington Place, fell victim to squatters who claimed they had a list of vacant houses.

But now city housing bosses claim they have reduced the number of so-called ghost houses to 40 addresses in a bid to combat a shortage of family homes in Brighton and Hove.

Maria Caulfield, cabinet member for housing, said: "When we came in to administration there were over 200 empty properties like this in the City and now we are down to the last 40.”

Speaking at a cabinet meeting she added: “I do appreciate the impact that having an empty property in your area can have on neighbours and residents.

“There is a shortage of family housing in the city, and that is why this year Cabinet agreed an additional budget of £300,000 to bring 46 empty properties back into use. The properties that remain empty are the very expensive ones that we are not currently in a financial position to refurbish.”

Coun Caulfield added that squatters in Wilbury Villas, Hove, had been handed an eviction notice. She said that council officers are currently assessing damage inflicted to the listed property in Kensington Place (pictured) during a ‘leaving party’ at the end of last month.

The council hopes to bring the property back into use shortly.

Councillor Christine Simpson, the Labour spokeswoman on housing, said: “I would certainly have liked to see these properties brought back into use more quickly, as they are desperately needed for the people on our housing waiting list.

“But there are a lot of improvements that need to be done and funding is needed for that.”