The number of single house buyers in Bradford has jumped dramatically, a new study has revealed.

There has been a 14 per cent increase in houses bought by single people since 1983 in the Yorkshire and Humberside region.

Last year 41 per cent of homes in the region were bought by people who live on their own, and 52 per cent of first-time home owners were also single.

The study by the Halifax suggests part of the reason for the increase is down to the rising levels of divorce in the country.

The Halifax report also shows more single women than ever are buying houses, reflecting the increase in the financial and economic independence of women over the past two decades. Single male first-time buyers in the region decreased by two per cent last year, however, bucking the rising national trend over the last few years.

Martin Ellis, Halifax Group Economist, said: "The dramatic shift towards more and more home owners buying on their own is set to continue over the next 20 years.

"It is, therefore, imperative that planners and builders take account of this when deciding what type of properties to build and where to build them."

Bradford branch manager at William H Brown Mark Sugden said: "We get a lot more single people buying property than a few years ago, both male and female. People are now more interested in careers and don't want the burden of a partner."

But Peter Proctor, Managing Director of PR Proctor and Sons Builders in Keighley, said it is not a new phenomenon. "It has been the case for a long time that single people have been buying their own houses," he said. "We don't specifically build houses for single people, partly because with all the specifications required now for new houses we can't build cheaper, smaller homes at a reasonable price."