THE crisis in staffing in Buckinghamshire schools is now so bad that the county council is thinking of giving teachers interest free loans for homes in a bid to get them to apply for jobs.

It has written to every headteacher asking for figures about how short of permanent staff they are. And it will use the figures as evidence when it puts in a bid for special Government cash to help young teachers buy their first homes.

One headteacher said he was lucky at present to get even one application for a job and last week an Aylesbury school was faced with putting children on a four-day week because it didn't have enough staff. The problem was avoided at the last minute.

Outside London, South Bucks is the second most expensive place in the country in which to buy a house. In High Wycombe, a one-bedroomed flat costs £80,000 and a two bedroomed house more than £100,000. The average teacher earns £25,000 after seven years.

The Government scheme, Starter Home Initiative, makes £50 million available next year to help public sector workers buy homes in areas where prices are high.

The council also wants to use the scheme to attract social workers. John Beckerleg, former director of social services for Buckinghamshire, said children in the county are at risk because the council cannot recruit enough.

As reported in the Free Press last week, South Bucks NHS Trust is putting in its own bid to help tackle the shortage of health workers. It wants to work with a housing association to buy homes and allow health workers to buy half a share in them.

The county council will probably want to give interest free loans to its people. It could give cash grants but these will be looked on as taxable income.

One problem with the Starter Homes scheme is that it is for first-time buyers only. County finance head Martin Shefford said it wouldn't help existing home owners wanting to move in to the area.