Hundreds of families in Northern Ireland are fearing that their Christmas could turn out to be their worst ever, as they believe they are in danger of having their homes repossessed.

The Belfast Telegraph has learned that in recent weeks the number of homeowners seeking professional help from such places as solicitors in Northern Ireland, has increased by more than 400 per cent.

This is despite demands from the government for banks to cut homeowners a little more slack in the current environment and the three per cent interest rate cut that has occurred over the past two months.

Families fearing that their homes could be repossessed could call in a solicitor as a last resort to try and find a solution to the problem.

Scott Kennerly, development officer at Money Advice, told the paper: "We are seeing people handing their keys back to lenders, going bankrupt because they can't afford their repayments, and sometimes threatening to end their own lives."

A recent study from the Council of Mortgage Lenders found that in the UK mortgage lending was down 22 per cent in November, compared with figures from October.
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