THE government was urged today to extend the ban on evictions after fears that the thousands of private renters made homeless during the pandemic will be the tip of the iceberg.

According to new government figures, a quarter of households in England who had applied to their local council for help with housing between January and March this year were renting from a private landlord.

A fifth of households, totalling 15,130, had lost their last settled home due to private landlords ending their tenancies.