Four former council workers and eleven contractors have been charged with fraud and corruption following a probe into building maintenance in the city.

The council will now consider plans next week for a total revamp of how repair work is carried-out on council homes across Edinburgh.

The current system of “statutory notices” forces property owners to carry-out essential repairs at the council’s request.

The new plans would place the responsibility for repairs in the hands of homeowners.

Councillor Alasdair Rankin, Finance and Resources Convener, said: “We must have a clear break with the past to reassure the public that the council has cleaned up its act.

“While we understand the benefits that the previous system, when working properly, had to some property owners, the circumstances in which the Council intervenes on maintaining private properties needs to be much more under control.

“Ultimately the responsibility for keeping a building safe lies with the owner. But we all have a shared interest in the fabric of our city being safe and sound.