Two million move out of capital in 10 years

MORE than two million Londoners have left the capital in the past decade. A report by Halifax today shows that people aged between 25 and 44 are the main deserters.

Experts say people are being driven away by soaring property prices, a crumbling Tube system and fear of crime.

Halifax economist Ian Hillis said: "The number of people moving out of the capital is increasing. House prices and quality of life are important factors behind this trend."

The research reveals a steady flight from London dating as far back as 1983, when 190,000 people moved away. In 1994, about 200,000 left, reaching a high of more than 262,000 in 2003.

A total of 2.3 million people left in the past decade. The average house now costs about ?240,000, pricing many people out of the market.

The report shows that most deserters head to the home counties so they can continue to commute to London.

The rest mainly relocate in the South-East and to the West Country. The report also shows that the number of people moving to the capital from the rest of the UK has fallen since the Eighties.

In 1983, 157,400 people moved to the capital. By 2003 148,281 people arrived in London - the majority aged 16 to 24.

Despite the exodus, the overall population of London has increased since 1994 from 6.87 million to 7.39 million.

This has been due to an increasing birth rate, people living longer and the arrival of 1.7 million people from abroad.