More than 600 people in the town of Weston were forced out of their homes last year as they failed to address their debt issues, it has been reported.

Local newspaper the Weston & Somerset Mercury stated that the soaring number of repossessions is partly down to debtors borrowing money without being fully aware of the risks faced.

Weston’s Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate Mike Bell told the publication the government should have done more to protect struggling debtors.

He said: "With higher borrowing costs and huge levels of personal debt taking their toll on families, it is inevitable that we will see even more repossessions in the future."

Earlier this month, accountancy giant KPMG predicted a rise in the number of home repossessions across Britain.

Mark Sands, director of personal insolvency at the firm, warned that the economic outlook for the country is bleak and that the repossession figures are likely to become worse before they get better.