Average prices of a terraced house in Brighton and Hove have topped the £150,000 mark - making them more expensive than a city semi.

They are now the most expensive terraced homes in England and Wales outside London. Brighton and Hove prices are almost double the £83,000 average cost of a terraced house in England and Wales.

Estate agents say the increase demonstrates the popularity of city centre living.

More professional people working for information technology industries are moving to the area because they like to be near city centre facilities.

Phil Graves, of Brighton-based Graves Jenkins estate agents and property developers, said: "The rise in terraced house prices is because people like city centre living and you don't find many semi or detached properties in the centre.

"Some of these buyers are high flyers who do not have cars, walk to shops, pubs and restaurants, take taxis and commute to London by train, and also do a lot of work from home. "

In Greater London, the average cost of a terraced house is £196,091. In Kingston and Chelsea it is £1.1 million.

Property prices are increasing throughout the county, according to the latest report from the Land Registry.

This is regarded as the most accurate indication of house prices as the figures are based on the prices paid and registered.

The report contradicts recent surveys saying prices of properties are stabilising or even falling but there is evidence some properties are taking longer to sell and figures show a slight reduction in the number of sales completed throughout Sussex.

Since the last election the average price of a house in England and Wales has increased by £36,000.

In Sussex, the average price rise is more than £50,000 since Tony Blair came to power. The average price of detached houses sold in Brighton and Hove was £237,294 in the first quarter of this year, up from £211,295 last year.

Semi-detached houses rose from £127,967 to slightly more than £146,400, while terraced houses saw the biggest rise from £127,059 to £151,275 in the same quarter. Flats and maisonettes went up from £77,477 to £92,452.

It means the average price of all properties soared from £105,969 to £125,247.

In East Sussex, the average price of a detached house has gone up from £180,000 to £197,920; semi-detached from £96,600 to almost £111,000 and terraced from £78,830 to £89,200.

West Sussex is still more expensive than East Sussex. The average cost of a detached property is now slightly less than £225,00 up from £202,100; semi-detached cost £132,110, up from £114,800; terraced houses £104,782, up from £95,572 and flats and maisonettes up from £65,280 to £74,220.