The percentage of households in council-owned properties in what is now Swindon borough dropped by half in the 50 years between 1961 and 2011.

And home ownership has increased while the percentage of households renting privately has nearly doubled.

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics this week make a number of comparisons between 1961 and 2011 based on the census 10 years ago.

In 1961 what is now Swindon borough was divided into two local authorities, Swindon Municipal Borough and Highworth Rural District.

Adding the rates of different types of tenure show that 60 years ago nearly a quarter, 23 per cent of, homes were rented from the council and now that has dropped to 11.5 per cent..

The private rental market has jumped from 10.5 per cent in 1961 to 18 per cent in 2011 and the rate of home ownership has gone from just over half at 53.5 per cent 60 years ago to nearly two thirds at 64 per cent in 2011.

The biggest movement has been in what was Highworth RD, a full 25 per cent of homes were council rented homes in 2961 while that figure is a tiny six per cent in the same area ten years ago..