Searches in West Dorset are taking around ten weeks to come through and causing sales to collapse.

A notice online also asks people not to contact its department for fear of causing further delays.

It says: “Due to an unexpected increase in Land Charges requests the team is dealing with an exceptionally high level of enquiries. As a result we are currently processing requests in approximately ten weeks.

“We realise that you want to know what progress is being made with your enquiry, but we ask that you keep contact to a minimum so we can focus on processing enquiries. Thank you for your understanding.

“Additional resources have been put into place to help address this backlog but it will take some time to reduce the existing volume of enquiries.

“We apologise for the delay and the inevitable inconvenience this will cause. Please be assured that we are seeking to deal with your enquiry as swiftly as possible. We will keep this page updated with progress.”

Estate agents and conveyancers are reporting that the delays are causing fall-throughs – and that delays can be longer than ten weeks.

Search agent Henry Pryor said a client of his is trying to buy a house in Bridport, West Dorset, and has so far waited some 12 weeks.

He said that by contrast, in Lindfield, Sussex, search time is currently five days.

Anthony Goss, senior branch manager at Palmer Snell in Weymouth, told the local paper: “The biggest issue we are having is to do with trying to get searches back.

“It used to take two or three weeks, it’s taking about 16 weeks now. This means that where we would normally have a sale and exchange contracts within eight or ten weeks, it’s now taking four months plus.

“It’s horrendous.

“We’ve had sales falling through, especially when they are in a chain.

“I have had people who have lost buyers for their homes because of how long it’s taking.

“It is frustrating beyond belief for everyone. We can’t believe it is so bad.

“Our searches are taking longer than anywhere in the country.”

Mike Harvey, of Nantes Solicitors, said: “From any other authority, you get it back within three days.

“For West Dorset it is taking 12 weeks and for Weymouth and Portland they can’t even give us an estimate of how long it will take. It is causing a crisis.

“It holds up chains which go to London, the north of England, all over the country.”