A growing number of Oxfordshire families face losing their homes as the credit crunch pushes up mortgage payments, figures have revealed.

Records published by the Ministry of Justice showed mortgage providers started legal action against 191 households at Oxford County Court in the first three months of this year - a 22 per cent increase on the number of repossession claims made during the same period last year.

A claim, usually made by a bank or building society, is the first stage of an action to repossess a property, and is followed by the granting of a repossession order, which can eventually lead to eviction.

The number of repossession orders granted by the Oxford court in the first quarter was 112 - up two per cent on last year.

However, the figures showed better news for north Oxfordshire, with just 51 repossession claims made at Banbury County Court - 15 per cent fewer than last year.

Nationally, repossession claims rose by 16 per cent to 40,442 in the first three months of this year, with orders increasing by 11 per cent to 26,930.