KEY sector workers in five professions can only afford to buy a home in 8% of towns in the UK – compared to 24% only five years ago.

Teachers, nurses, paramedics, police and firefighters have all seen house purchase affordability deteriorate since 2014, according to a Halifax report.

The report shows that in 2019 three of the top 10 most affordable places in the UK for the five professions to buy a house are in Scotland – Clydebank, Leven and Bellshill.

Leven has replaced Coatbridge in the top 10 since last year, while Wishaw, Lochgelly and Irvine have dropped out since 2014. In 2009, Bellshill and Larkhall were in the UK’s top 10 most affordable places.

Scotland has also seen the most towns move from unaffordable to affordable (five) as well the most moving in the opposite direction (three).

Those becoming more affordable are Galashiels, Hamilton, Kilmarnock, Leven and Carluke, while those becoming less affordable in the past year are Dumfries, Dumbarton and Airdrie.

The figures are based on the benchmark ratio of average house price to average earnings, where housing is considered affordable to buy if the ratio is below 4.0. The gap is due to house prices outpacing earnings growth for public sector workers. Average house prices rose by 32% compared to key worker average annual earnings growth of 7%.

There are currently no regions or nations where the ratio is 4.0 or less.

In Scotland the house-price-to-earnings ratio for key workers has jumped from 4.84 in 2009 to 5.26 in 2019.

Andrew Mason, head of mortgages at Halifax, said: “Over the past five years, wages have not increased in line with average house prices across Great Britain and this has had an impact on key workers.

“Schemes like Help to Buy and continued low mortgage rates could give key workers the chance to get on the ladder when they might otherwise think properties are out of reach."