Glastonbury councillors have demanded tougher rules on Airbnbs and second homes, warning that the town's housing struggle will not ease until short-term lets are brought under control.

The concerns were raised during a heated discussion on the pressure facing local people trying to find somewhere to live.

Cllr Paul Manning said the growing number of holiday lets was hitting the town hard. He told the meeting, "Until that is addressed, it is one of the fundamentals that underpins the whole housing shortage issue."

He said other parts of the country had already taken firm action to bring down the number of short-term rentals.

Somerset councillor Liz Leyshon said any real change would need Westminster intervention.

She told members, "That's a central government thing that has to pass legislation," and warned that many holiday properties avoided council tax entirely by registering as businesses.

Town councillor Lindsay MacDougall said Glastonbury should look at how other areas had pushed back against Airbnb saturation. She said some regions had "regulated it by having a second homes tax", adding that the measure had helped curb the rise in short-term lets.

Cllr Leyshon said she would take the issue back to Somerset Council as pressure grows for a local response.

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