Around 2,750 people have applied to buy homes for just one pound in Liverpool where city bosses are selling off derelict houses in decay. Over 120 terraced Victorian properties are being sold in the Picton area of the city.

The scheme, launched by Mayor Joe Anderson in 2013 aims to bring homes up to a “decent” standard. 20 homes have already been sold around Granby Four Streets and Arnside Road.

“All the plumbing and the electrics and fixtures have been ripped out,” Liverpool City Council Manager Tony Mousdale told the BBC in reference to the properties, some of which have been empty for around 50 years. “So it’s pretty much a shell. It’s a blank canvas and people can put their own stamp on it.”

Applicants will be contacted by the end of October to let them know the status of their application.