There was a glimmer of hope for the UK’s beleaguered housing market this morning as housebuilder Taylor Wimpey said that sales so far this year have been 'robust'.

The rate of sales per development in March almost doubled from the same time in 2008 as the number of first-time buyers increased.

While the rate went up from 0.34 to 0.61, only 350 sites were selling houses, compared with close to 500 last year.

The Times