Westminster council has won a High Court judgment to speed the recovery of £26.5m owed to it by former leader Dame Shirley Porter.
She owes the money in regard to the "homes for votes" scandal in the late 1980s. Interest could be backdated to 1987, bringing the total to nearly £37m.

The council has won a High Court summary judgment to speed up the recovery of a £26.5m surcharge for her role in the infamous "homes for votes" scandal in the late 1980s, in which housing was sold at a discount to potential Conservative voters in marginal wards.

The House of Lords re-ordered Dame Shirley to pay the surcharge in December 2001. It gave her until 13 September this year to pay the sum, which has risen to £27.7m with interest since December.

Westminster has spent more than £200,000 since last year trying to recover the money.

She can appeal against paying the interest but not against the rest of the judgment, after admitting she had no defence.