CONCERNED Winnington homeowners have met with a Labour minister to discuss the problems of leaseholding.

Weaver Vale MP Mike Amesbury – a strong critic of the practice – brought shadow housing minister John Healey MP to a meeting with residents at Winnington Recreational Club.

The meeting, on Thursday afternoon, saw residents explain the issues they are facing after buying homes in the area.

Leaseholding has come under fire recently, as it means homebuyers purchase their property but not the lands it's built on.

In some cases, the land itself has been sold on to third-party investors, leading the buy-out costs spiralling upwards for the homeowner.

During the meeting, the MPs and Jo Derbyshire from the National Leaseholding Campaign heard from residents about their individual woes.

The meeting was also attended by local Labour council candidates Kate and Bob Cernik.

MP Mr Amesbury said: "This was some of the earliest casework I ever came across as a new MP with residents in Northwich being particularly impacted by this.

“Following pressure from myself and Labour colleagues, it had looked as though the government was finally listening, but that progress seems to have stalled and I fear the government are trying to put it on the backburner.

“It’s essential we keep up the pressure to bring an end to this gross injustice and it was great to hear from John, who is our front bench lead on this, is keen to do this too.”

Speaking to residents, Mr Healey – representative for Wentworth and Dearne in Barnsley – branded the practice 'medieval'.

He and Mr Amesbury also visited the home of one resident before the meeting.

As of 2015-16, there are more than four million leasehold properties in England, of which 1.4 million are houses and around half of which are on leases of under 80 years.

The Law Commission, which is setting out to review leaseholders' rights, has extended its 'Leasehold home ownership: buying your freehold or extending your lease' consultation until January 7.