House prices throughout Sussex continue to soar despite fears of a market slowdown, according to the latest figures.

The average price of a property in Brighton and Hove rose to £179,184 in the last quarter of last year, an increase of 18.7 per cent from the same period in 2001.

The average price of a home in East Sussex rose 27 per cent, from £128,355 in October to December 2001 to £163,110 in the same period in 2002.

In West Sussex, there was an average 22.9 per cent increase from £153,420 to £188,603, according to the latest figures from the Land Registry.

Prices in Brighton and Hove are not rising as fast as other parts of the country, probably because prices in the city have risen faster than elsewhere in recent years.

The average price rise in England and Wales between the end quarter of 2001 and 2002 was 22.4 per cent.

But properties in Sussex still cost way above the national average of £145,251.

A shortage of land in Sussex has prompted the Government to call for thousands of new homes to be built.

Brighton and Hove and East Sussex have been told to provide 22,500 by 2021.