ALMOST one family every day last year in Swindon were threatened with repossession every day.

The worrying figures from the Ministry of Justice reveal how families up and down the country are struggling to meet their monthly repayments.

Critics warn the situation will only get worse with massive cuts and job losses expected to kick in later this year.

mortgage lenders launched 345 repossession claims – the first stage of taking back a property – in Swindon last year, down 21 per cent on 2009.

A breakdown reveals that 80 claims were started in the three months leading up to Christmas.

In Wiltshire there were 90 claims between October and December, up 14 per cent on the same three month period in 2009.

But the annual figures of 370 for 2010 was down 15 per cent on the previous 12 months.

The figures, from the Ministry of Justice, do not reveal the actual number of evictions because a family can still save their home after a claim has been made by settling their debts or reaching an agreement with the lender.

Across England and Wales, 75,431 families were threatened with repossession in 2010, of which 17,847 were in the last quarter.

Housing Minister Grant Shapps said: “The fall in repossessions is welcome, but I am concerned that too many people are still worrying about losing their homes without seeking support.

“I urge anyone who thinks they may be at risk of losing their home to take action immediately. There is help available and repossession should only ever be the very last resort.

“No one in financial difficulty should be embarrassed to seek help if they need it and worried homeowners should speak to their mortgage lender immediately.

“They can also visit the Directgov website for help to prepare a personal action plan, or seek expert advice from Shelter, National Debtline or the local Citizens Advice Bureau or local authority.

“There are challenges ahead for homeowners in 2011 – so the most important thing that Government can do to keep repossessions as low as possible is to continue our efforts to tackle the record deficit.

“By doing this we can avoid the need for rapid increases in interest rates, and keep the pressure off homeowners facing financial hardship.”

Interest rates have remained at 0.5 per cent for almost two years as the Bank of England tries to encourage more lending. People on variable mortgages would have seen their payments fall significantly which could have accounted for the fall in claims.

Mortgage lenders now have a duty to inform the local authority as soon as action is being taken against any property in the area so council chiefs can ensure the residents are getting the appropriate help and advice they need.