DOZENS of claims have been launched by landlords and mortgage lenders to repossess homes in Tendring after lockdown, figures show.

Data from the Ministry of Justice shows 36 claims were lodged between July and September.

This is compared to 22 claims made over the same period in 2020 and 104 recorded in 2019.

Of the claims lodged in the three months to September, 31 were made by private and social landlords against renters.

Bailiff-enforced evictions were banned for a large part of the past two years to prevent homelessness,but the ban was lifted in England on May 31.

The latest figures show 13 property repossessions took place in Tendring between July and September.

Of these, 11 were evictions of renters, while two were by mortgage lenders.

Jon Sparkes, who is chief executive of Crisis, national charity for homeless people, said: “More and more people who lost their jobs and had their lives turned upside down are now being forced into homelessness.

“As more cases make their way through the courts, we sadly expect this to increase further still."

Across England and Wales, 13,000 repossession claims were submitted to county courts between July and September – a significant increase from 4,065 in the same period last year.

Claims made by landlords accounted for more than three-quarters of the total.

Nationally, there were 5,238 repossessions in the three months to September – 93 per cent of which saw renters evicted from their homes.

Mr Sparkes added: “Last month the UK government did announce a winter support package of £65m for renters but with a million in arrears, it falls well short of the £270m that is needed.

“Seeing more people face homelessness is simply unacceptable.”