Latest house prices

The lowest average house price in England and Wales is in Hull, at £67,000.

The highest is, unsurprisingly, Kensington and Chelsea, with £1.05m.

Prices in Hartlepool were down 5% in May, compared with April, and 10% lower than a year ago.

In NE Lincs they were 10.5% down on the year.

All this from the Land Registry.

The Registry says prices rose 0.5% in May to an average £161,677.

That compares with the Halfax, which said they dropped slightly, and the Natioanwide which recorded a 0.3% rise but a 0.6% fall in June.