House prices in Brighton and Hove are higher than some areas of London, yet workers rarely gain a wage allowance which those in the capital are entitled to.

Brighton and Hove City Council's Unison employees are the latest group to demand a South-East weighting.

Union leaders claim staff are being priced out of the area and the latest available figures from the Land Registry seem to reflect this.

In the period April to June this year, the average dwelling in the resort cost £188,046. This was higher than six of London's 33 boroughs.

Nationwide, the city remains one of the most sought-after and therefore expensive areas to live.

Of 108 remaining counties and unitary authority areas in England and Wales, just 13 were dearer than the City by the Sea.

These included: Bath and North East Somerset, Dorset, Buckinghamshire, areas of Berkshire, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire and Surrey.

Flats in Brighton and Hove were exchanging hands at an average £147,292 in the period, which was beaten by just seven authorities outside London. These were Bath, Bristol, Poole, Reading, Surrey, Windsor and Wokingham. They were also more expensive than nine London boroughs.

The Land Registry's next set of figures is due out on November 10 and these could reveal the average property price in Brighton and Hove has broken through the £200,000 barrier.

Last month, a survey by the Nationwide building society claimed it was already £219,000.