1 in every 105 households in England at risk of repossession or eviction

Newham in London named worst 'hotspot'

A campaign is growing for mortgage prisoners to be treated fairly and receive compensation

More than 200,000 homes in England are at risk of repossession or eviction, according to new figures released today by Shelter.

The housing charity's research focuses on hotspots around the country including Nottingham and Luton where 1 in 60 homes are at risk, Salford (1 in 61), and Newcastle upon Tyne and Wolverhampton (both 1 in 63).

It also underlines the extent of the danger in London. Many of the capital's boroughs register in the top 20 'at risk' table. Newham has the highest risk of repossession or eviction in the country with 1 in every 35 homes at risk.

Earlier this month, the charity revealed that nearly 85,000 children in Britain face homelessness this Christmas and its helpline is already taking over 470 calls every day.

Campbell Robb, chief executive of Shelter, said:"It is heartbreaking to see that so many people in England face spending Christmas with the threat of losing their home hanging over them. Seeing that one home in every hundred is at risk of repossession is a frightening reminder that homelessness can happen to anyone."

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors predicted today that house prices in the UK will rise by eight per cent by the end of 2014 and the cost of renting a home by a further two per cent.

Peter Bolton King, RICS Global Residential Director, said: "While the number of new homes being built is now on the rise, it still won’t be anywhere near enough to meet demand and we expect the problem of insufficient housing stock to be the main driver behind price increases over the next twelve months."