New figures have revealed that house prices dropped in South Lakeland in June.

The drop, according to Land Registry data, continues a longer-term trend, which has seen property prices in the area suffer an almost six per cent annual decline – the worst in the North West.

Land Registry data revealed that the average South Lakeland house price in June was £227,481, which was a three per cent decrease on May.

Over the month, the picture was worse than that across the North West, where prices increased by just over four per cent, and South Lakeland underperformed compared to a rise of just below one per cent for the UK as a whole.

Over the last year, the average sale price of property in South Lakeland remained level – putting the area bottom among the North West’s 39 local authorities for annual growth.

The best annual growth in the North West region was in Fylde, where properties increased on average by almost eight and a half per cent to £202,000.

Owners of flats fared the worst in South Lakeland during June – with properties dropping by three per cent in price, to £139,374 on average.

Over the last year, prices dropped by just over eight per cent.

With other types of properties the downward trend continued, with detached properties down by three per cent monthly and almost five and a half per cent annually.

Semi-detached propeties were down by just below three per cent monthly and five per cent annually.

The data also revealed that first-time buyers in South Lakeland spent an average of £191,000 on their property – £11,700 less than a year ago, and £6,800 more than in Jun-15.

By comparison, former owner-occupiers paid £250,200 on average in June – 31 per cent more than first-time buyers.

Buyers paid 33 per cent more than the average price in the North West (£171,000) in June for a property in South Lakeland.

Across the North West, property prices are lower than those across the UK, where the average cost £238,000.

The most expensive properties in the North West were found in Trafford – £301,000 on average, and almost one and a half times as much as in South Lakeland.

Trafford properties cost slightly over three times as much as homes in Burnley (£92,000 average), at the other end of the scale.

The highest property prices across the UK were in Kensington and Chelsea, where the average June sale price of £1.4 million could buy 15 properties in Burnley (average £92,000).