Homes found for Afghan refugees in Richmond borough have been left empty for weeks due to government inaction, it has emerged.

Three houses which are ready for refugee families to move into are not being used, leaving refugees stranded in hotels and the Council footing the bill.

A local councillor has slammed the Home Office for the delay and Richmond Council have confirmed they are waiting for families to be referred to them by the government.

West Twickenham councillor Piers Allen told Nub News the Council is working with London boroughs to see if there are similar experiences across the capital.

He said there has been a lack of response from the Home Office and "no-one really knows why."

Local charities working with refugees have not heard from the Home Office either, he added.

"There is something seriously wrong," he said.

The Lib-Dem councillor, cabinet member for adult social services health, has taken to Twitter to express his frustrations.

Last month he posted: "So disappointed to learn that [Richmond Council] has been paying for a house for an Afghan refugee family for the last three weeks, but is still waiting for the [Home Office] to allocate a family – it's weeks since families came to the UK, what on earth can excuse the delay [Priti Patel]?"

And yesterday (November 15), he added: "It's now a month since I posted this – we now have three houses ready for allocated Afghan refugee families in [Richmond], but guess how many allocations from the [Home Office]?

"Three? Just two? Even a single one? No, absolutely NONE …"

Cllr Piers Allen told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "It's now weeks since some of these families have been in hotels, and the promise was obviously that they would be permanently rehoused and it's distressing [for them]."

He added: "We have not been able to make the progress that we've offered, because of the Home Office."

A spokesperson for Richmond Council told the LDR service: "We have put forward three properties to the Home Office and are waiting for families to be referred to us.

"We are in regular discussions with the Home Office for updates and to ensure we have the right support in place for families when they do come to us."

A government spokesperson said: "The government has undertaken the UK's biggest and fastest emergency evacuation in recent history helping over 15,000 people to safety.

"There is now a huge effort underway to get families into permanent homes so they can settle and rebuild their lives, and to ensure those still temporarily accommodated in hotels have access to healthcare, education, any essential items they need and employment opportunities or Universal Credit.

"The ongoing role of local authorities is vital to these efforts and we are grateful for their continued offers of support and housing but the accommodation offered must meet the needs of those being resettled."