TOUGH sale restrictions for affordable homes must be introduced to ease Dorset's property crisis, campaigners have warned.

The Dorset branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) fears a huge rise in the number of the region's second homes is destroying the county's heritage.

Now they want council bosses to restrict the sale of affordable homes to Dorset residents and public sector workers.

They hope the move would cut the number of young people being forced away from the county because they cannot afford to get on the housing ladder locally.

And the CPRE claims the move - similar to a restriction imposed by Exmoor National Park Council - would stem the tide of second homes in Dorset.

The group made the calls to local authorities at its annual meeting in Dorchester over the weekend.

Dorset CPRE executive director David Gargrave said: "We feel the issue of housing, particularly affordable housing, is critical to the future of Dorset and its young people.

"At the moment we have a situation whereby many young people are being forced to move away because they cannot afford to get on the housing ladder.

"That cannot be right and we, as an organisation, are determined to do all we can to ease the situation.

"We would like to see district councils impose this restriction, which has been introduced in other areas of the country. By passing this motion, we want to send a clear message that local people and public sector keyworkers should be a priority when it comes to low-cost housing."

Outgoing Dorset CPRE chairman Terry Stuart said the increased number of second homes in Dorset was damaging the county.

"We need to ensure rural villages remain viable places in the future and it is important that they do not simply become full of second homes for people from the London and Midlands areas," he said.

The meeting heard that as many as one in four houses in a number of West Dorset villages are currently deemed to be second homes.

West Dorset branch vice chairman Rob Murray told members the number of second homes in the county had increased four-fold in 30 years.

And just eight per cent of new homes being built in the district are being put on the market at a subsidised price, he said.

Mr Murray said more low-cost shared equity homes were needed in the coming months and years.

"There is a situation at the moment where many younger people are moving away from the area even though they work here, because they cannot afford the prices," he said.

"More pressure is needed on district councils to make this an even bigger priority, particularly for shared equity schemes."

Attending the meeting was CPRE national chief executive Shaun Spiers.

The meeting also heard Howard Thomas would take over from Mr Stuart as branch chairman shortly.

Robin Bawtree is also set to take over from David Gargrave as executive director, although Mr Gargrave will remain publicity officer.