HOME ownership has become "virtually impossible" for public sector workers, according a new report.

UNISON, the public service trade union which published the report, says workers in the south west will have to save for 26 years in order to buy a house for the first time, and that home ownership is "now little more than a pipe dream for public sector workers".

The report, Priced Out, highlights how saving the money for a down payment on a property could take decades.

According to the research, saving for a deposit and obtaining a mortgage are the biggest hurdles for those living in local authority areas across England, Scotland and Wales.

This is based on first-time buyers saving £100 every month for a deposit.

The research focused on the salaries for employees in five jobs: an NHS cleaner, teaching assistant, librarian, nurse and police community support officer (PCSO).

The data is based on the starting salaries of a band 2 NHS cleaner, a band 5 nurse, and the most common pay rate for a teaching assistant and a librarian. For the PCSO it is the typical starting rate plus shift allowances.

It calculated what multiple of their annual income they would need to borrow for a mortgage once they had paid a deposit, based its calculations on a property deposit of 15%.

Priced Out shows that a mortgage is completely unattainable for all five job categories in every local authority in the South West.

The report shows that the national housing outlook is bleak, with house prices predicted to grow faster than the wages until at least 2022.

UNISON South West regional secretary Joanne Kaye said: “Owning a home is now little more than a pipe dream for most public sector workers.

“Deposits and mortgages are quite simply way out of reach, while the spiralling cost of renting is eating up a growing proportion of the take home pay of working people across Britain.

"Wage rises haven’t kept pace with soaring house prices and rents, and the situation looks set to worsen.

“The government has had more wake-up calls over the growing housing crisis than hot dinners. Decisive, creative and responsible action is needed now.”