House prices across the county are rocketing because home buyers have been forced into the countryside by Brighton and Hove's overheated property market.

One of the most detailed analyses to come from a leading mortgage lender shows the population is shifting as people are priced out of key areas.

House prices in Brighton and Hove have soared for a number of years, forcing young couples and families to look further out for affordable property.

And while the boom appears to have abated in the city, space is at a premium and demand has never been higher in formerly cheaper areas like Lancing, Hastings and East Grinstead.

New figures from the Halifax building society show Shoreham - traditionally Brighton and Hove's poorer neighbour - has leapfrogged the city following price rises of 13 per cent in just a year.

While the average house price in Brighton and Hove has remained level, at an average £206,189, Shoreham properties have increased from £186,289 to £211,317 in the past 12 months.

Experts are now predicting an influx of trendy bars, cafes and restaurants in the riverside town which could make it the new Hove in as little as five years.

Property prices in Bexhill have also overtaken those in Brighton and Hove, increasing by 25 per cent from £160,662 to £200,675 in 12 months.

In Pulborough, the average price is now £359,588 - up 18 per cent in just one year.

Lancing has seen a rise of six per cent from £162,041 to £172,108.

David Coleby, of Halifax, St George's Road, Brighton, blamed the city's price slowdown on London.

He said: "We have reached a plateau and I don't know where it is going to go next. Central Brighton and Hove is often really expensive but compared to London it is quite cheap. We get an awful lot of people coming from London to buy here.

"People who can't afford to buy in Brighton and Hove often move somewhere along the coast like Shoreham or Telscombe. They would rather save £50,000 or £60,000 and be a bit further away."

Only Mid Sussex has escaped the prices boom. In Haywards Heath houses have remained stable, rising from £275,420 to £276,671, while houses in Burgess Hill have decreased in value from an average of £218,394 to £214,906.

The boom has been precipitated by first-time buyers and families who until recently stood little chance of getting on the property ladder and moved away from Brighton and Hove to towns where their money went further.

Neil Simpson, of Baker Warwick estate agents, in Brunswick Road, Shoreham, said: "We are five miles down the road from Brighton and Hove but property is still quite a bit cheaper.

"People with families or a child on the way who may have had a two-bedroom flat in Brighton can get a three-bedroom detached house for their money here."

Cafe Nia, a Brighton restaurant in the heart of North Laine, has recently opened a branch in Shoreham.

Mr Simpson said: "The profile of shops has gone up. There are some nice furniture shops and a few new cafes have opened."