Haringey Borough Council has been attacked for leaving one of its houses empty for eight months while thousands wait for a home.

The house in Beatrice Road, Stroud Green, has been empty since August last year and a new tenant will not move in until the end of this month.

Opposition Liberal Democrat councillors have attacked the authority over the slow turnaround by the authority’s housing provider Homes for Haringey.

The group says the home is just one of a thousand homes left empty by Homes for Haringey while the waiting list for housing grows.

Lib Dem ward councillor Katherine Reece said: “The council and Homes for Haringey must do more to make sure council homes are re-let quickly.

“It is completely unacceptable that a council property has lain empty for eight months when so many families are stuck in temporary and overcrowded accommodation waiting for a council home to become available."

She added: “It is very sad that families with small children have to wait when these properties could be made available.”

Liberal Democrat group leader Cllr Richard Wilson attacked Labour's "failure" to deal with the borough's housing crisis and inability to manage its housing and build new homes.

He said: “Why should families have to wait on the housing list just because the council and Homes for Haringey can’t get their act together and repair this council home?

“It makes you wonder how many other families could be housed if they acted more quickly and made vacant council homes available as soon as they could."

A spokeswoman for Homes for Haringey said: “Homes for Haringey works closely with the council to ensure homes that become empty are ready to let to new tenants as soon as possible."

They added the property in Beatrice Road suffered extensive damp, which required treatment over a six-month period, adding that once the work was completed the home was retreated and is now ready for new tenants.