Help for nurses, teachers and police to afford new homes is on the agenda of a council.

The Starter Home Initiative, backed by £250m of Government cash, is being considered by West Oxfordshire district councillors as a way of meeting key worker recruitment problems.

Thames Valley Police has already voiced concerns about the loss of officers moving to areas of the country where house prices are cheaper. Prices for a terraced two-bedroomed house in Witney are now around £95,000.

Now, district council housing director David Waters wants a fuller picture to see if there are similar problems for others, including nurses and teachers. The initiative is among a raft of proposals aimed at meeting some of the housing needs of the district. "The scheme is intended to help first-time buyer key workers where high prices would otherwise prevent them from living in or near the communities that they serve," he said.

The council would have to support a housing association, with schemes like shared ownership and grants, to get a share of the Government cash.