Buyers in the South West paid 2.3 per cent more than the average price in the South West (£262,000) in December for a property in North Somerset.

Across the South West, property prices are higher than those across the UK, where the average cost £235,000.

Over the last year, the average sale price of property in the region
rose by £1,600 - putting
the area 25th among the South West's 36 local authorities for annual growth.

The boost contributes to the longer-term trend, which has seen property prices in the area achieve 0.6 per cent annual growth.

North Somerset underperformed compared with the 0.3 per cent rise for the UK.

First-time buyers spent an average of £220,410 on their property - £550 more than a year ago, and £44,430 more than in December 2014.

By comparison, former owner-occupiers paid £301,740 on average in December - 36.9 per cent more than first-time buyers.