LANDLORDS and mortgage lenders lodged more than 20 bids to repossess homes in the Braintree district as the country emerged from the latest lockdown, new figures show.

Claims and repossessions shot up over the summer, following the end of the tenant eviction ban.

Ministry of Justice figures show 26 claims to repossess homes in the district were lodged by mortgage lenders and landlords between July and September.

Though this was higher than the 10 claims made over the same period in 2020, it was lower than the 76 recorded in 2019.

Of the claims lodged in the three months to September, 19 were made by private and social landlords against renters.

Bailiff-enforced evictions were banned for a large part of 2020-21.

The measure was introduced by the Government to prevent renters from becoming homeless during the pandemic – though the ban was lifted in England on May 31.

The figures show 10 property repossessions took place in Braintree between July and September.

Of these, nine were evictions of renters, while one was by a mortgage lender.

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.

The action we’ve taken since the start of the pandemic helped keep renters in their homes – over eight million households were protected by the pause in court possession proceedings - Government spokesman

Housing charity Crisis says the measures introduced to prevent homelessness during the pandemic were inadequate.

Chief executive Jon Sparkes 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."

But a Government spokesman said: "These statistics show a considerable decrease in repossessions compared to pre-pandemic levels, with a 64 per cent decrease in landlord claims and a 59 per cent decrease in mortgage claims compared to the same quarter in 2019.

“The action we’ve taken since the start of the pandemic helped keep renters in their homes – over eight million households were protected by the pause in court possession proceedings."