Family forced to live cramped lifestyle
Defence Minister Derek Twigg last night admitted around 12,000 homes for troops and their families were left vacant despite intense pressure for low-cost housing.
In Newquay, Cornwall, six people spanning three generations of the same family are squeezed into a two-bedroom house.
Emma and Steve Stroud live with their two young daughters Alisha, three, and Alyx, 18 months, and Emma's parents Lynn and John Roberts in Dale Road.
But in nearby Wheatfield Crescent, MoD properties remain empty.
Local politicians branded the situation a "housing scandal".
Mrs Stroud said: "My husband and I are sharing the same room as our two young daughters and my mum is disabled.
"As you can imagine, it is all a bit too close for comfort in a little house.
"It seems silly that there are empty homes just five minutes around the corner."
Liberal Democrat defence spokesman Willie Rennie has now vowed to challenge the Government about the problem.
He said: "If the homes aren't needed for defence personnel any more, they should be released to the local authority to help meet the clear housing need in the area.
"We need to see more joined-up working."
The issue was first raised by Liberal Democrat campaigner and parliamentary candidate Stephen Gilbert. He said it was "totally unacceptable the MoD continues to keep scores of empty properties in Newquay".
MoD homes are understood to be vacant in Treloggan, St Columb Minor and St Eval.
But Mr Twigg said the Government remained committed to "providing the highest standard of accommodation for our armed forces and their families".
He added: "In Britain, we deal with over 15,000 property moves every year.
"Some properties need to remain vacant so we have sufficient accommodation for personnel when they return from the front line and to absorb relocation of personnel as a result of rebasing.
"The vast majority of our vacant properties are vacant for a short time so that we have homes available immediately for our people when they need them."
In the last year, the number of void properties had been reduced by more than 1,000 but still stood at around 12,000, he added.
Grandmother Lynn with the Strouds and their children
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