The global credit crunch could be taking its toll on homeowners after it was revealed one in three people could now be seen as a high risk investment.

Market analysts Mintel warned that following problems with US sub-prime mortgages and increased interest rate hikes, up to a quarter of the UK's 16.5 million mortgage holders could be seen as unfavourable to invest in.

The group warned that these "non-standard consumers" who may not have a regular income or may have fallen behind on debt repayments, will be seen as a particularly high risk if they want to remortgage their home.

It claimed that an increasingly conservative lending environment would mean these consumers, would miss out.

Mintel added it would also be likely to see some paying over the odds in fees and charges for their mortgage, while others benefit.

This could lead to some falling behind on newly pushed-up payments and, in the worst cases, seeing their homes repossessed.

Mintel also said that some have already noticed some side effects of the credit crunch, with one in five putting off getting a mortgage because they do not have a stable job or fear they may have employment problems in the future.

The research warned that this figure was also likely to rise, estimating that as divorce rates grow and the popularity of becoming self-employed increases, more and more people will be in the "non-standard" consumer band.

This could end up applying to more than 18 million people in the future.

Toby Clark, senior finance analyst at Mintel, said: "The focus over the last few months has very much been on sub-prime borrowers, but they are only the tip of the iceberg.

"With lenders becoming increasingly cautious about who they give money to, many more mortgage holders will be offered less than favourable terms when they come to remortgage.

"Those coming off fixed-rate deals taken out before the recent interest rate rises will be particularly hard-hit."

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