MORE than one in 20 people in Hexham moved house because of the coronavirus pandemic, a survey suggests.

Research by the think tank Demos asked 20,000 adults in parliamentary constituencies across Great Britain how the Covid-19 crisis had affected where they want to live.

In Hexham, six per cent of people surveyed in December said they had recently moved house or were planning on doing so for reasons related to the pandemic. Across Great Britain, nine per cent of survey respondents said the same.

The Chartered Institute of Housing said many people have re-evaluated where and how they want to live as lockdown highlighted the importance of affordable, well-located, good quality housing.

The survey also showed a further four per cent of residents in Hexham were thinking about moving house because of the pandemic, though they had no solid plans yet. However, the vast majority of people (75 per cent) were not thinking of relocating.

The think tank said young adults, particularly those in their mid-20s with lower incomes, were the most likely to move as a result of the pandemic. Students and young urban workers were also affected.