Home Office contractor offers landlords double the council rent to evict tenants and house small boat migrants

Clearsprings Ready Homes offered one south London landlord £4,500 a month for a three-bedroom flat that Southwark Council rents for just £1,790. The three-year deal also covered bills, council tax and maintenance. He turned it down, refusing to end his council contract and put vulnerable families at risk of homelessness. Clearsprings works under a £7billion taxpayer-funded Home Office contract.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp branded it 'a day of shame for Labour'.

Clearsprings is reportedly targeting landlords who house students and people fleeing domestic abuse.

The landlord called the offer 'nuts' because both bids are ultimately funded by taxpayers.