IN August, house prices in Northumberland increased by 2.2%, new figures show.

The boost contributes to the longer-term trend, which has seen property prices in the area achieve 15.1% annual growth.

The average Northumberland house price in August was £184,928, Land Registry figures show – a 2.2% increase on July.

Over the month, the picture was similar to that across the North East, where prices increased 2.4%, and Northumberland underperformed compared to the 2.9% rise for the UK as a whole.

Over the last year, the average sale price of property in Northumberland rose by £24,000 – putting the area fourth among the North East’s 13 local authorities for annual growth.

The best annual growth in the region was in County Durham, where property prices increased on average by 16.6%, to £120,000. At the other end of the scale, properties in Gateshead gained 7.2% in value, giving an average price of £143,000.

Buyers paid more for properties in Northumberland than anywhere else in the North East in August. The average price paid would buy 1.5 homes in County Durham (£120,000), at the other end of the scale.

The highest property prices across the UK were in Kensington and Chelsea.

Across the North East, property prices are low compared to those across the UK, where the average cost £264,000.