A SCHEME to helping buy their own homes has create more than 3,500 homeowners in the North-East.

The Government’s Help to Buy scheme was set up to help people get on to the property ladder.

In Britain more than 39,000 people have used the Equity Loan and NewBuy options to buy new-built properties and 15,000 have bought homes through the Mortgage Guarantee scheme.

In Country Durham, 661 Equity Loans have been issued over the first 18 months of the Help to Buy scheme.

A further 71 were agreed in Darlington, 145 in Hartlepool, 165 in Middlesbrough and 184 in Redcar and Cleveland over the same period.

Stockton residents have used 457 of the grants with 358 agreed in Gateshead, 363 in Newcastle, 276 in North Tyneside and 222 in South Tyneside.

Sunderland residents have used 375 Equity Loans while 288 were approved in Northumberland.

Housing Minister Brandon Lewis said: “The figures clearly demonstrate the continuing success of the Help to Buy in supporting creditworthy, hardworking people who want to buy a home of their own.

“Over 54,000 new homeowners have now used the schemes as a valuable alternative to the Bank of Mum and Dad, enabling them to buy with a fraction of the deposit they would normally require.

“But it’s also got Britain building and since the scheme’s launch private house building starts have increased by a third.”