TORY Communities Secretary Eric Pickles launched a dramatic power grab in London’s Tower Hamlets yesterday that will see an unelected team strip power from Mayor Lutfur Rahman.

The minister flexed his muscles after a £1 million report by accountancy firm PwC queried several transactions at the council — but failed to find any evidence of fraud.

Tower Hamlets had not followed “best value” procedure over a handful of property sales or properly justified the reason for several grants to community organisations, it said.