More than a quarter of houses bought last year in Ceredigion were purchased as second homes or properties to rent out, figures show.

According to HMRC data, second home buyers - including property investors and landlords buying houses to rent out - were undeterred by new taxes on extra properties.

A second home is defined by HMRC as a property that is bought by buyers who already have primary residences.

Last year 27 per cent of the properties sold in Ceredigion were classified as second homes.

Around 320 were bought in the financial year 2017-18, with a combined value of £61m.

That’s despite an extra three per cent stamp duty charge on additional properties, introduced in April 2016 as part of a government effort to deter buy-to-let landlords, property investors and second home owners.

In Wales, one in four properties bought last year were classified as second homes. Around 14,000 second homes were bought, with an estimated value of more than £2 billion.

The number bought last year in Ceredigion has increased by 39 per cent since 2016-17, when around 230 second homes were purchased.

The National Housing Federation, which represents housing associations, said it was concerned about the impact that buying extra properties has on local communities.

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