People living south of the Border are more likely to have a second home in Scotland or Northern Ireland than anywhere else in the UK, according to the latest census figures.

The survey of residents in England and Wales found that almost 50,000 now have a second address in Scotland or Northern Ireland.

It is the first time the census in England and Wales has polled respondents on whether they own a second property elsewhere in the UK or abroad.

It found that 47,733 residents in England and Wales had a second address in either Scotland or Northern Ireland, more than double the number who owned a second home in Cornwall – the most popular place in England for a second home.

The census figures do not give a breakdown of exactly how many of these second homes are located in Scotland as opposed to Northern Ireland.

However, the census reveals the largest numbers of residents with second addresses in Scotland or Northern Ireland were located in northern local authorities, closer to the Border with Scotland and to Northern Ireland. There was also a high concentration of Scottish and Northern Irish second homes owned by people living in the City of London.