A LOTTERY winner who could afford several homes is living in a Stroud council house.
The tenant who got lucky on the lotto was revealed to his Stroud District Council landlords at their latest housing advisory panel.
"We had someone who won on the lottery a large, significant sum," the council's housing advice manager Sue Leighton-Boyce told the meeting at Ebley Mill.
"They are still our tenant although they clearly had enough money to go out and buy several homes."
Her comment came as the councillors discussed a review of their council homes allocation policy after government consultation about ending lifetime tenancies.
A further suggestion was that households with a gross income above £60,000 shouldn't qualify for social housing.
The Government's Localism Act had given local authorities the flexibility of opting for renewable tenancies instead, Ms Leighton-Boyce said.
"We have had another lady who married a very nicely-off gentleman.
"They chose to live in their council house but he has another property, has a house abroad and a yacht abroad," said Ms Leighton-Boyce.
"Tenants were quite miffed about this and said 'why can't you do anything? Why are you still allowing them to live there?'" she said.
"Under the current rules they have their tenancies for life," she said.
The council's rainbow political alliance is expected to decide about tenancy issues at their next executive on November 8.
But panel member Coun Debbie Young (C Chalford), former cabinet member for housing, said renewable five-year tenancies would allow such situations to be dealt with.
"This lottery guy has highlighted the issue that people don't have to give up their properties even when they don't need them," she said.
There were 3,200 people on Stroud's council house waiting list and Mrs Young said: "Surely this person's conscience should be pricked now?"