Havering Council will be getting a �38million helping hand to bring its housing up to standard.

The cash has been awarded by the Greater London Authority to improve 3,514 homes in the borough.

The announcement that Havering would get its full allocation of �38million over the next two years was made by London mayor Boris Johnson last week.

The council had to bid for the money.

It will bring the total it has received to improve homes to �62million.

The Decent Homes standard is set nationally by the government to ensure that the houses are hazard-free, with good heating, windows, boiling and electrics.

During this financial year, repairs will include 326 new windows, 1,731 new kitchens, 1,200 heating systems, 540 doors, 185 roofs and 546 new bathrooms.

The additional �38.581m will now see 3,514 homes transformed between 2013 and 2015.

The council’s housing boss Cllr Lesley Kelly, said: “We are really pleased that we have the money because we can finish the programme which we promised the residents we would do.

“We had to bid for it and we were one of the few councils who were able to get the amount we wanted.”