JUNE now holds the record for the biggest number of first-time buyers taking out a home loan.

The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) said 39,500 first-time borrowers signed up for a mortgage in June, a figure which has not been met since December 2002.

The new figures reveal the average first-time buyer (FTB) took out a record 3.21 times their income.

Michael Coogan, director of CML, said: "It is interesting to see even though FTB income multiples are the highest on record, they are still finding ways of getting on to the ladder."