House prices increased by 4.5 per cent – more than the average for the North West – in South Lakeland in February, new figures show.

The boost contributes to the longer-term trend, which has seen property prices in the area achieve 14 per cent annual growth.

The average South Lakeland house price in February was £273,592, Land Registry figures show – a 4.5 per cent increase on January.

Over the month, the picture was better than that across the North West, where prices increased 1.3 per cent, and South Lakeland outperformed the UK as a whole, where prices did not change.

Over the last year, the average sale price of property in South Lakeland rose by £34,000 – putting the area 11th among the North West’s 43 local authorities for annual growth.

The best annual growth in the region was in Wirral, where property prices increased on average by 22.3 per cent, to £193,000. At the other end of the scale, properties in Hyndburn lost 6.9 per cent of their value, giving an average price of £92,000.

First-time buyers in South Lakeland spent an average of £229,000 on their property – £27,000 more than a year ago, and £51,000 more than in January 2016.