WORCESTER'S St Barnabas ward is among 2,000 of the most deprived areas of the country to be given a boost by Gordon Brown.

Stamp duty on property and business sales worth up to £150,000 will be abolished in the area from Friday.

The Chancellor announced the measure in his pre-budget review.

Also exempt will be Kidderminster's Oldington and Foley Park areas.

The move is designed to encourage families and businesses to relocate to the wards - rated among the 2,000 most deprived in the country.

At present, housebuyers pay stamp duty of one per cent when they buy properties worth between £60,000 and £250,000. The new measure could save people up to £1,500.

Mr Brown also said the Government was planning to "significantly raise" a £150,000 limit for stamp duty exemptions for business transactions in these areas next year.

"This will provide a boost to the local economy in the Brickfields area," said Worcester's MP, Mike Foster.

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