Reposessions Up

House repossessions in Britain have risen alarmingly to levels not seen since the last recession.

The number of mortgage repossession orders posted by courts in England and Wales between April and June this year rose by 24% to 28,658, compared to the second quarter last year.

The figures are in line with the number of orders made in mid-1992, at the height of the recession.

Unlike the last recession, repossession figures show that "second charge" repossessions feature strongly in the figures; indicating that many have unwisely used their property to secure an extra line of credit.

Shelter forecasts 9,000 more people will lose their houses to "second-charge" lenders.

Meanwhile the Treasury and Bank of England argue over what to do ease the liquidity crisis; with Mervyn King Governor of the Bank sticking firmly to his principles, and insisting that it is not the Bank's role to provide credit.

Posted in: bank of england,credit crunch,credit squeeze,debt,liquidity,Mervyn King,mortgages,recession,treasury