Buying a house in Brighton and Hove has become an impossible dream for most families who work here, according to figures published today.

People living in the city earn an average of £20,840 a year.

House prices, which have more than doubled since 1998, now average £181,000 - nine times the typical salary.

The majority of mortgage lenders will only allow buyers to borrow three-and-a-half times their income, putting the dream of home ownership completely out of reach.

And the property boom, although slowing, is expected to continue with building society Nationwide today predicting a ten per cent rise in prices during 2003.

Barclays Private Clients, the wealth management arm of the bank, has spent months compiling the data.

Brighton and Hove ranks as the 12th most difficult place to buy a property in the South-East.

In Lewes, which ranks 20th, people are paying 7.85 times their income on properties averaging £168,576. The average income in the town is £21,476.

Some key workers such as nurses and teachers are benefiting from the Government's new starter home initiative, in which grants are given out help them purchase property.

Joint ownership schemes, where residents can buy a proportion of a housing association home, are also being encouraged.

But Brighton and Hove City Council is calling for more drastic action.

Its local plan proposes that at least 40 per cent of houses in new developments are low-cost.

The proposal is likely to run into opposition from developers, however, who would be forced to take their share of the cut in profits.

Councillor Tehmtan Framroze, deputy chairman of the city council's culture, regeneration and housing committee, said: "The city is in the middle of a housing crisis because there is such a big gap between the supply and demand for affordable houses.

"If most people in the city earn about £20,000 and cannot afford to buy homes, then it is vital to take steps to change things. Everyone deserves to enjoy a decent standard of life."

Lewes District Council has also set targets for the number of low-cost homes it wants built.

In total, 13 areas of Sussex are included in the rankings, which list 37 areas in the South-East.

Homeowners in Wealden, East Sussex, are getting the worst deal, with the average house price standing at £215,393, compared with an average annual income of £21,476.

A nationwide list ranks 376 boroughs, with Brighton and Hove ranking 53rd, Lewes, 93rd and Wealden 24th.

The research was conducted using information from the Land Registry about house prices from June to September.