The crime rate of an area is one of the biggest factors influencing house buyers. Now a survey has attempted to translate that factor into figures.

The research aimed to workout the best value areas in which to live.

While nowhere in Sussex has been listed among the worst-value regions, most areas fall below average.

The figures, compiled by UpMyStreet.com, compare average house prices with crime rates to work out how much extra people are paying to live in safer areas.

In Sussex, the worst performer is Hastings, where house prices average £120,858, and 164.58 crimes were reported for every 1,000 households between 2002 and 2003.

The next worst value place to live is Brighton and Hove.

The average house price is listed as £186,937, with a crime rate of 104.94 per 1,000 recorded.

The city's property prices are about 20 per cent higher than the average of £156,037, despite a higher crime rate than most other places - 11 per cent higher than the 94.50 average.

Although house prices were lower than average in Hastings, the survey ranks the town 36th most crime-ridden place to live in the country.

Topping the list for Sussex is Adur, which ranks the 151st best-value place to live out of 358 areas nationwide.

Here, while average house prices are just 2.4 per cent above the national average at £159,745, the number of crimes recorded was 71.05 per 1,000 households, 24.8 per cent lower than the average.

The survey's authors claim properties in areas with low crime cost on average £32,7000 more than their equivalents in crime-ridden areas.

London fared worst in the country, with Kensington and Chelsea ranking the worst value. Here, the average house price is £642,482, with a crime rate of 131 per 1,000 homes.

Commercial director of UpMyStreet.com Julia Grinham said: "Close to half of people worry that crime is a problem where they live so it is no wonder we are prepared to shell out to live in a safer environment.

"In general, the more expensive an area is, the lower the crime rate. However, the research will give some people pause for thought because not only may they be paying over the odds for property, they may also be subjected to higher than average crime rates."

Brighton and Hove City Council has been working with police to bring down crime in hot-spot areas such as East Brighton.

Housing councillor Jack Hazelgrove said: "In the EB4U area in East Brighton, crime has gone down quite markedly, thanks to the council working on initiatives with police.

"But the facts speak for themselves in Brighton and Hove. Whatever disadvantages there may be, the city continues to be an extremely popular place to live."

Despite being Brighton and Hove's neighbour, Adur's lower house prices and less-frequent crime indicate it is better value for money for homeowners.

Leader of Adur District Council Neil Parkin said: "One of the reasons I moved out here a few years ago was because the property is so much cheaper.

"Crime, too, is bound to be lower here because Adur is not a bustling city like Brighton and Hove. There is also certainly a very strong community spirit here."

Efforts are being made to stamp out crime in the Hastings area.

St Leonards was awarded £246,500 last year to upgrade shop security.

As part of a recent visit to the area, Home Secretary David Blunkett announced Battle Road Business and Retail Security in Hastings would receive £20,000 as part of a £493,580 pot of money to be shared by deprived areas in the South-East.

Tuesday November 25, 2003