The number of flats and houses being sold in England, Wales and Northern Ireland hit a peak of 1,859,000 in the 2006-7 financial year, the largest number since the high point of the 1980s boom in 1988 - the year before the crash, the BBC reported.

The figures from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) come as city analysts warn that the buy-to-let bubble is about to burst.

Numis Securities said there were potential problems waiting in the wings because so many individuals had invested so much of their money in buy-to-let, This Is Money reported.