A WORCESTER councillor has spoken at the Labour Party conference - highlighting the plight of more than 2,000 city people in need of a home in an attack on the Government.

Councillor Elaine Williams, who represents Warndon, made an appearance at the big event in Liverpool to bring the city's housing shortages to the nation's attention.

She said too many people are "stuck" and unable to buy a home because of the severe competition for properties, hitting out at the forthcoming 'pay to stay' social housing ruling.

It comes after years of rising housing demand in the city which has seen average property prices smash past the £200,000 mark.

Councillor Williams said: "In Worcester the waiting list for social housing is over 2,000.

"These are not just statistics - these are real people, partners with children, single parents, the elderly and vulnerable.

"There are thousands of people living in the private rented sector.

"They are stuck, unable to buy a home and in a cycle of short term contracts with no security of tenure, high agents fees and ever rising rents.

"It is not good for children to be constantly be on the move - their education is severely disrupted and it can loosen ties with family and friends."

She also blamed the current Government for "making the situation worse", hitting out at the current 'pay to stay' policy as "a new name for means testing".

The Government is aiming to stop supposedly 'high earners' from living in social housing under the move, which will see more than 70,000 people nationwide hit by rent rises of at least £1,000 a year.

People with a combined household income of £31,000 in England, or £40,000 in London, will be classed as 'high income tenants' and subject to rent increases of 15p for every pound they earn above the thresholds.

But the Department for Communities and Local Government said 90 per cent of social housing tenants would be unaffected by the policy, which is due to start from April 2017.

A spokesman for the department said: "It's simply not fair that hard-working people are subsidising the lifestyles of those on higher than average incomes, including tens of thousands of households earning £50,000 or more."

The social housing waiting list in Worcester has topped 2,400 names, but it was as high as 4,500 in 2013 before bosses decided on a purge by writing to people to ask them to re-register.

Recent years have also seen record numbers of affordable homes built in Worcester, including 260 in 2014/15.