SOME 60,000 homes in England have stood empty for at least two years and councils are not using their powers to bring them back into use, according to new figures.

The statistics, obtained through a freedom of Information request by the Liberal Democrats, also show that more than 11,000 homes across the country have remained uninhabited for a decade or more.

Durham, with 6,500 empty homes, had the highest number, followed by Leeds with 5,724, Bradford with 4,144, Cornwall with 3,273 and Liverpool with 3,093.