BRITAIN'S new Prime Minister has been challenged to live up to his talk on providing affordable housing for young people.

Councillor Simon Geraghty, the leader of Conservative-run Worcester City Council, laid down the gauntlet by saying Mr Brown would be "an utter disgrace" unless he lives up to his pledges.

Mr Brown, who replaced Tony Blair yesterday, made providing affordable homes the centrepiece of his opening speech as Labour leader at a conference on Sunday.

Coun Geraghty, who viewed the speech on TV, said: "It will be very interesting to see what Gordon Brown does now, because if he can't deliver the funding, it will be an utter disgrace.

"We've already done our bit in Worcester by saying we will take a certain amount of growth. My message to him is: If it's a big a priority, as he states, let's see the colour of your money, Gordon'."

Coun Geraghty delivered his speech during a packed council meeting on Tuesday night.

Worcester has been identified as a possible site for 16,800 new homes, but the Guildhall says it needs Government funding for the infrastructure improvements.

Coun Mike Layland, an independent, said: "We can do very little on our own - we need the Government to help us."

Mr Brown used last Sunday's speech to say he would "bring together the private sector, housing associations and local councils to renew the promise of social housing in our communities" and make it one his "great causes".

The council says 335 affordable homes need to be built each year to keep up with demand in Worcester - but at the moment the figure is just 90.