HOME repossession orders in Scarborough are up by almost a third compared with the same time last year. New figures from the Ministry of Justice reveal that 170 county court orders were made in Scarborough in the first half of 2008 – a rise of 32 per cent in a year.

Between January and March this year the number of repossession orders rose by a staggering 165 per cent – the third highest figure in England and Wales for the first quarter of 2008.

However, figures have slowed in recent months, with 16 per cent fewer orders made from April to June compared with the second quarter of 2007. The slowdown is good news for homeowners after the rocketing figures for Scarborough at the start of this year.

Tania Exley-Moore, Scarborough’s Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for the Liberal Democrats, says the situation is in crisis. She said: “This was going to be inevitable with the credit crunch. People have been overstretching themselves and have been encouraged to take out mortgages they can’t pay back. Lots of people, especially young families, are struggling to make ends meet. “I can see these problems getting worse in Scarborough and Whitby.

Let’s hope the council can do more to put pressure on local builders for more affordable housing.