House prices in Brighton and Hove have risen more than anywhere else in the country over the past decade.

The cost of buying a home in the city has gone up by 280 per cent over the period as tough planning rules, the growth of the buy-to-let market and an influx of people moving from the capital have driven prices up.

The outstripping of supply by demand has pushed the average price of property up by £2,559 per square metre, leaving many people priced out of the market. A one-bedroom flat in Brighton now costs an average of £150,000 and buyers would need a £30,000 salary to secure a mortgage.

The property price rise in the city has also rippled out to other areas of Sussex as home buyers look for more affordable homes.

Areas to have benefited most from the property boom are Newhaven, Shoreham and Haywards Heath.

Experts say an average of £50,000 has been added to the value of properties in Shoreham, as new developments such as Ropetackle have boosted the regeneration of the area.

Experts now warn that if the trend continues, first-time buyers, many already struggling to get a mortgage, will be unable to get on the property ladder.

Hugh Tucknot from estate agents Parsons Son and Basley, which has offices across Sussex, said: "If the prices carry on rising, property will become unaffordable to a lot of people.

"How can a first-time buyer get on the ladder? There's nothing for them to buy as there's a small range on the market that they can afford.

"Prices can't keep going up at this rate because no one will be able to afford it any more. It will get to a stage where no one will be able to move a step up the ladder, and then prices will have to come down."

Prices in Brighton have risen by an average of 28 per cent a year for every square metre of land, according to the Halifax Estate Agents home pricing index service.

Estate agent Lee Povey, from BHF Properties based in Church Road, Hove, told The Argus prices had "gone up massively" over the past ten years.

He said: "A flat that would have cost £21,000 in 1996 would be fetching between £150,000 and £160,000 now. The city is a very desirable area to live.

"There's a shortage of homes on the market. We're very short of one-bedroom flats and houses overall.

"The shortage leads to high demand which, in turn, has led to higher prices."

Lawrence Felton, of Strutt and Parker estate agents, said 65 per cent of the properties they handle were sold to Londoners who plan to commute to work in the capital.

He said: "Londoners can pay up to 30 per cent over the asking price and they can pay higher deposits. They're looking for Regency homes with sea views. Brighton offers them that. It's an easy commute and they're prepared to pay."

Property hot spots in the city include Kemp Town, Brighton Marina and Preston Park, where prices have risen above the local average. The price of a three-bedroom home in east Brighton is now about £435,000, according to local estate agents.

Emma Cowley, of Link Up Properties which has offices across the county, said: "Kemp Town is extremely popular. It's near the seafront and there are a lot more larger houses than there are in other parts of the city.

"Preston Park is popular with families because of the space and the good reputation of the schools, and the marina is a hot spot for young professionals who want to feel a bit swanky."

Other areas of Brighton, such as Hanover, have also reported record price rises and buyers would need to part with an average of £310,000 to move there.

Ms Cowley said: "It's quite a trendy, arty part of town and that's attractive to buyers.

"Meanwhile, Haywards Heath has a nice village-like atmosphere and is an easy commute to London so prices are peaking there, but you can still buy something in East Hailsham or Crowborough for less than £200,000."

Despite the near four-fold increase, Brighton still lags behind London when it comes to the most expensive place to buy property.

Prices per square metre in the capital increased from £1,097 in 1996 to £3,883, making a property by the sea an even more attractive option for Londoners.

London came third in the list of biggest gainers over the decade, behind both Brighton and Truro in Cornwall, which saw gains of 270 per cent.

Martin Ellis, chief economist at Halifax, said: "London is the most expensive city in the UK, with an average price of £3,883 per square metre, although ten years ago the capital was ranked second behind St Albans.

"Armagh in Northern Ireland is among the cities with the lowest price per square metre, but it has experienced the sixth-largest increase over the past ten years."