Only one in five homes sold off under Right to Buy since 2012 have been replaced, Liberal Democrats have said today.

The figures show that 51,532 affordable homes have been sold off under the scheme since April 2012, while only 10,644 new council homes were built by local authorities in the same period.

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said: ‘Council homes are still being sold off in their thousands without being replaced, leaving people across the country without the affordable homes they need.

‘It is the equivalent of selling off a city and replacing it with a village.’

Mr Farron said the figures show the Government is falling behind on its pledge to replace every council home sold off under Right to Buy.