MP TIM Farron is urging the Government to increase council tax on second homes.

The Lib Dem says he wants new council tax-raising powers on empty properties to be extended to second homes, to deal with their "excessive levels" in South Lakeland.

The Government has announced it is giving the power to local authorities to triple council tax on homes left empty for five to ten years - and quadruple it on those vacant for longer, said Mr Farron.

In a letter to the secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, James Brokenshire, Mr Farron made the case for these measures to be extended, to deal with "excessive levels of second homes".

He said estimates put the number of empty homes in South Lakeland at 933, compared to 3,721 classified as second homes.

"The Government’s announcement is clearly a positive move forward so that empty homes can be brought back into use for local families," said the MP.

"But in the South Lakes, it’s the excessive number of second homes that is causing the biggest problem for our young people to be able to get a foot on the housing ladder.

"Obviously people have a right to buy a second home but when you’ve got so many homes not lived in it means you’ve not got people sending their kids to the local school, using the post office or the bus services. Then you end up with the risk of losing those services because they're no longer viable."

Mr Farron added: "If the Government was to extend these new powers so that local authorities could increase council tax for both empty homes and second homes, then it would go a long way to helping us tackle the enormous housing problem we have here in south Cumbria.”