14,000 homes lying empty

NEARLY 14,000 Lothian homes are lying empty.

By The Newsroom

Published 20th Dec 2010, 14:53 BST

Updated 21st Dec 2010, 09:48 BST

New figures show more than 100,000 properties across Scotland are unoccupied, the highest level in six years.

West Lothian, with 1679 homes, or 2.3 per cent, saw the second highest rise of the 32 council areas. Figures showed 10,040 properties, 4.3 per cent, in Edinburgh were vacant, with 734, 2.1 per cent, in Midlothian. In East Lothian, 1491 homes, 3.4 per cent, were empty.