The gap between the average prices of property in London and the north-east grew to its widest in history in August, according to new data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), released on Tuesday.



A home in the capital costs an average £514,000, the monthly analysis showed, compared to just £154,000 in the north-east of England - an area of the country out of reach of the London "ripple" affect.



The cost gap is now £360,000 - more than the price tag of an average UK home, which sat at £274,000 in August.



In June, the difference between the average values of houses in the two regions was £349,000. Last August, a home in the north-east cost £286,000 less than one in London.



Back in January, 2010, house prices in London were only 2.5 times more expensive than property in the north-east.