Councillors are considering doing away with the 50 per cent discount on second properties.

They believe it could be the push owners of some 3,000 empty properties across Calderdale need to either rent or sell.

The council's motivation is twofold. One it would bring in more revenue and help boost the grant it receives from central Government. Secondly, and most importantly, it says, it could help ease a record 9,000-strong waiting list for housing.

At any other time the move might be seen as perfectly reasonable. But not when people are scratching for every penny to meet increasing bills and maintain lifestyles.

Many of those who find themselves under threat from these proposals would make losses if they were forced to sell, and for reasons best known to themselves may not want to rent.

After all, the private housing sector has no obligations to the social housing market.

The majority of property owners would be quite happy hanging on to what they own until the market picks up again. After all, their only mistake was to speculate in bricks and mortar at the wrong time. And there is no crime in that.

For that reason it is unlikely those who own more than one property will take this lying down.