Fraud fears over London housing right-to-buy sales

It is over 30 years since Mrs Thatcher handed over the keys to Britain's first right-to-buy council home.

Since then, the policy has helped over 250,000 Londoners get onto the property ladder.

The government is currently offering discounts of £100,000 to attract even more buyers in London.

But with London's soaring property prices, there are large profits to be made from former council houses, with some owners re-selling properties for over £1m.

Critics believe the high prices to be made are making the right-to-buy scheme increasingly vulnerable to exploitation.

The Audit Commission annual report (October 2014) reported a 400% increase in right-to-buy fraud in London.

BBC Inside Out's reporter Mark Jordan investigates how the scheme designed to help ordinary home owners is open to exploitation.

Credits: Black and white archive footage is courtesy and copyright of British Pathe.

Inside Out is broadcast on BBC One London at 19:30 GMT on Monday, 12 January and nationwide on the iPlayer for 30 days thereafter.