Some of Britain’s poorest town centres will be offered a smattering of grants today to help fill buildings left unwanted and boarded up in the recession.

John Denham, communities secretary, is making a total of £3m available to 57 councils to find 'creative ways' to transform these vacant properties into community facilities.

The funding may appear negligible in the context of the worst economic downturn in Britain for decades, which has seen rising unemployment.

The number of vacant outlets has more than doubled in the past year, with one in 10 shops in large towns and cities now empty – up from just 4% last summer. In Derby and Leeds, for example, more than one in five outlets is vacant.

Financial Times