THREE North-East towns have been highlighted as home repossession hotspots, based on figures from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).

The number of mortgage possession claims and orders made in county courts has increased in the last six months across the country.

And Middlesbrough, Hartlepool and Redcar and Cleveland are in a top 20 league table of local authority areas said to be most at risk.

Analysis of MoJ figures by the website www.sellhousefast.uk showed that Middlesbrough had 44.3 mortgage possession claims per 100,000 households.

This was the highest figure in the country.

Hartlepool (38 claims) and Redcar (34.6) were placed seventh and 17th respectively.

In contrast The Isles of Scilly, Ryedale, Rutland and Tewkesbury were found to have no mortgage possession claims.

Typically claims leading to court orders for repossession arise from missed mortgage payments with such arrears the biggest source of debt in UK households.

Leading Teesside estate agent Michael Poole said a stagnating housing market was a factor, although he wasn’t seeing the same volume of repossessions as there used to be in years gone by.

Last month a survey revealed that properties in some parts of the North-East had lost more than half their value in the last ten years.

This included North Ormesby, in Middlesbrough, where the average house price is approximately £36,000, a 60 per cent drop on the 2007 figure of £57,600.

Mr Poole said: “The situation is people may find they can’t meet their mortgage repayments for whatever reason, for example a loss of job or reduced income.

“In a rising market that may not be a problem as they can sell their house, clear the mortgage debt and move on.

“The problem is sometimes negative equity, somebody may have bought a house in 2006/7 and have found the value is less than what they bought it and in many cases the mortgage will probably exceed the value of the property.

“They are then stuck, they can’t meet their mortgage repayment, they can’t move house, therefore they get repossessed.”

Robby Du Toit, managing director of www.sellhousefast.uk, said: “The prospect of repossession can be daunting.

“However, it is important to remember there are resources out there that can provide guidance and help should you face a possession claim or order.

“In the first instance, I would recommend speaking to a legal adviser and in turn, your lender.

“You can talk to your lender about your arrears at any point, even if they’ve started legal action.

“Communication is key.”