Debt-ridden university graduates are being offered help by a West Midlands developer to step on to the property ladder.

Kings Oak Homes is offering to pay off £100-per-month, for three years, on graduates' student loan re-payments for those who buy one of its apartments due to be built by next summer.

This amounts to a potential saving of over £3,500.

The offer extends to the company's Dean's Gate development in Bowker Street, Willenhall, and the Hampton Gardens site, in Pond Lane, Wolverhampton.

Managing director Mark Wright said: "We understand how difficult it can be for first-time buyers to get onto the property ladder particularly those who have recently completed higher education.

"Getting into the right financial position to become a home owner can seem like a daunting task.

"After leaving the family home and moving on from university digs many graduates are often under pressure to find somewhere to live.

"So we've decided to put together a package that we hope will make the move to a brand new home seem like a doddle."

The offer is part of trial, but if successful, it may be transferred to other development sites.