House prices in England and Wales went up £707 in April

Highest riser in prices over the year is Rutland with an increase of 13%

The latest house price figures from LSL Property Services show Greater London still leads the way in terms of house price rises, followed by East Anglia.

Around the country, four unitary authority areas and counties hit new peak prices - Brighton & Hove, Cambridgeshire, the City of Bristol and Wokingham, with Southend-on-Sea only £200 off its previous highest average price. The unitary authority with the highest rise in prices over the year is Rutland, up 13 per cent, followed by Cambridgeshire, up 7.8 per cent.

“House prices in England and Wales climbed £707 in April," said David Newnes, director of LSL Property Services, "have risen £6,726 in the past 12 months and have dropped only once in the past seventeen months. The catalyst has been a significantly improved mortgage market.

“Sales are 18 per cent higher than they were last year, reflecting the improved conditions for buyers. A plethora of excellent mortgage deals are surfacing, cheaper mortgages have trickled into the market and low interest rates too have led to a boost in buyer activity."

However, he warned that the rises in the London market continued to gloss over weaknesses elsewhere in the country, particularly the north of England and Wales.