COUNCIL staff have been warned not to visit blacklisted bedsits and hostels in Clacton alone in case they face a hostile reception due to benefits cuts.

Tendring Council staff are being warned to “double up” when visiting some properties because of potential dangers.

Staff have also been warned they could encounter “dirty syringes” and “squalor” at some bedsits - officially known as houses in multiple occupation.

Read the full story in the Clacton Gazette, out now.