A RETIRED York teacher said he'd be a 'dead duck' without help to buy his flat through shared ownership.

Malcolm Murphy taught generations of children over 35 years and was a teacher with City of York Council for 25 years.

After taking early retirement, a breakdown in his relationship left him struggling through a difficult few years.

He then rented a flat in Fulford which left him with very little spare every month, even though the 62 year old works at Waitrose to supplement his pension.

Earlier this year, the council was marketing four apartments in Cemetery Road for shared ownership. Malcolm spotted this and arranged a viewing.

He said: “When I saw the shared ownership advert on facebook, I applied and got an answer in an hour.”

Malcolm bought a 55 per cent share which has significantly lowered his monthly outgoings. He said: “I was paying £750 a month for my old two-bed flat, but now I’m paying £380 a month.

“Shared ownership means I can stay in the city I love, near my friends. Without it, I’d have been a dead duck with no chance of owning a place.

“I’d recommend the scheme because it also means I can save, so that hopefully I can pay off my mortgage one day and leave something for my kids.”

The scheme is eligible to people with a household income of up to £80,000 and a five per cent deposit.

After working out what mortgage is affordable and getting an offer in principle, apply through the Help to Buy website. Successful applicants can choose to buy a share of a suitable property from the open market or from City of York Council.

To find out more visit: www.york.gov.uk/sharedownership.