The average property price stood at  £253,000 in the UK during February, up 9.1% from the year before, the Office for National Statistics has claimed.

The figure is far higher than the Land Registry figure for the same month of £170,000 in England and Wales.

The ONS figure is apparently worked out from mortgage lending information, yet is also much higher than both Halifax and Nationwide, which are currently quoting £179,249 and £180,264.

The ONS data shows that UK house prices are driven by the markets in London and the south-east. Even so, its figure once both those regions are taken out is £196,000 – an annual rise of 5.8%.

According to the ONS, house prices in February stood at £264,000 in England, £167,000 in Wales, £130,000 in Northern Ireland and £183,000 in Scotland.

In London the average house price was £458,000, while the north-east had the lowest average house price at £146,000.

London’s house price inflation was 17.7%, according to the ONS.

*Property site Home says asking prices are now rising faster than at any time during the last boom, with London asking prices up nearly 19% on a year ago.

The site says that supply of properties for sale is down 12% year on year, and down 48% since March 2008. Time on market has fallen 34 days from last April to 96 days.

It puts average asking prices across the UK at £256,976.