Over-stressed southerners are cashing in their homes and buying rural post offices and corner shops in Cumbria.

An influx of buyers from the high earning south are using huge profits, made on bricks and mortar, to snap up rural business.

A report by the commercial agents Christie and Co says many people from the south of England are buying commercial properties in rural areas to escape from high pressure jobs.

It says the situation has caused a shortage of post offices, small shops and pubs for sale throughout the county.

Different life

Christie spokesman Martin Thompson said many people in the south want "a lifestyle change".

He said: "Many people are fed up with high pressure business careers, or with the pace of life in crowded areas like London and the South East.

"They dream of an entirely different way of life - running a village post office, or a friendly local pub - and the rising value of their home enables them to buy bigger and better businesses than they had previously expected.

"Many are taking them on as real commercial concerns and not just as hobbies.

"People in village areas will always, quite rightly, be concerned about the future of their local facilities, but the trend is for people to make a go of these businesses."

Ready cash

Mr Thompson said falling share prices were persuading investors with ready cash to seek more money from their own efforts than from financial advisers.

He said: "Public houses typically show net profits of 20-25% of takings, before borrowing costs are taken into account.

The owners of a pub turning over �200,000 could be earning �40,000-�50,000 per annum, with living costs absorbed in the running of the business."