'One home a week' sold
The number of first-time buyers getting on to the property ladder slumped to a record low during August, figures show.
Just 15,600 people bought their first home during the month, the lowest level since the Council of Mortgage Lenders began to collect data in 2002.
The slump was accompanied by a further tightening in lending criteria by lenders, with first-time buyers now putting down average deposits of 16%.