MoJ figures show an increase in repossession orders

Posted 2008-05-8

New figures released by the Ministry of Justice have found that the number of repossession orders made by courts in England and Wales has risen.

According to the research, the number of possession orders, considered to be the first phase in repossessions, rose to 38,688 in the first quarter of 2008, equating to an increase of 16 per cent from the same period last year.

In addition, the number of repossession orders issued by the courts reached 27,530 in the first three months of the year, compared to 23,438 in the first quarter of 2007.

Caroline Davey, from the housing charity Shelter, told BBC News that the banks must take a large part of the blame for the current situation, by withdrawing their 100 per cent products from the market.

"Those lenders have now retracted all of those mortgages. But what they havent done is put their hands in their pockets to help the many thousands of people who are struggling, having taken out mortgages they simply cant afford," she said.

In 1990, the number of repossession actions reached 37,498.

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