A UKIP councillor has called on Thurrock’s housing chief to resign, accusing her of “hypocrisy” over comments made about the Right to Buy scheme.

Tim Aker made the comments following a heated exchange at Wednesday night’s full council meeting with Labour’s Lyn Worrall who came out against the scheme despite using it to buy her house in Tilbury.

Ms Worrall has said she’s never hidden the fact she bought her council home and that’s she never actively campaigned against the right to buy scheme.

Mr Aker said: "It is time for Councillor Lynn Worrall to resign as cabinet member for housing. While she has been campaigning against the Right to Buy she herself has profited from it.

“To publicly attack Right to Buy for taking homes and money out of the system and then to purchase a home out of Council hands through the Right to Buy is extreme hypocrisy. “If she has any respect for her position, she will do the decent thing and step aside so someone with integrity can take up the post. Thurrock has 6,500 residents on the Council house waiting list. They need to be assured that someone who holds the Housing portfolio is dedicated to their welfare."

In response, Ms Worrall said: “There are several things to note here – not least that I have never made a secret of the fact I bought my council home and I have never actively campaigned against the right to buy.

“I have resisted the temptation to buy my home for decades, but due to a change in my personal life I decided that it was the right thing to do. I have not changed my mind that taking homes out of the public realm for providing social housing is not a good thing to do, but equally I have to look to my family.

“Young people across our country are struggling to get on the housing ladder – be it rented, mortgaged or something in between. My children are no different.

“By owning my home I can now assure my children that there will always be a place for them, a safe haven, and that, when I am gone, at least they will have capital to share.

“The so-called right to buy is now so firmly entrenched in British culture that I cannot see it being repealed – the current government is even looking at extending it.

“So, instead of being hypocritical, I am actually being realistic. I envy those who remain in their council-owned homes, I would prefer that forcing councils to sell their homes was not possible, but it is.”