DONCASTER'S courts have seen the number of repossession orders from mortgage companies soar by almost a quarter this year.
Government figures for mortgage possession orders issued through the borough's courts show a 23 per cent increase for the year to September over the same period in 2007.
In all, 882 of the orders have been made to the courts over that period.
T
he figures from the Ministry of Justice also show more than 277 homeowners in Doncaster found themselves under threat of eviction for failing to meet mortgage payments between July and September this year, the most recent period.
The figure for the year is more than in neighbouring Sheffield, where 734 orders have been made since the beginning of the year - higher than the regional average.
A mortgage repossession order is granted by a court and entitles the bank or building society which lent the mortgage to apply to have the occupier evicted.
Not all orders result in the properties actually being repossessed because homeowners and lenders can still negotiate a compromise.
Housing Minister Margaret Beckett said: "Lenders need to be doing everything they can to help families facing difficulties."
The Local Government Association warned five million people could be waiting for a council house by 2010.
Doncaster's National Association of Estate Agents representative Anthony Kerrigan said: "We know repossessions are going on and they are increasing. The letting market is good, but the sales market is miserable at the moment. All the uncertainty in the economy seems to resonate in a poor housing market."
Doncaster Citizen's Advice Bureau operations manager Beryl Kellett says anyone with debt problems should contact the CAB at Old Guild Hall Yard as soon as they become aware of the issue to try to find a solution. Doncaster Council says anyone made homeless should contact the council's Housing Department immediately for help.
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