The Government has been accused of giving councils power to snatch homes from the relatives of their dead owners, if the property remains empty after six months.

Shadow housing and planning minister, Michael Gove, went on to claim the Government had deliberately released details of the Empty Dwelling Management Orders – or EDMOs – on a Friday afternoon, without issuing a press release, while the media's attention was fixed on the next day's England World Cup match against Paraguay. The original measure was passed by John Prescott two years ago, and has now been actioned by the new communities and local government secretary Ruth Kelly. ‘