Houses sell faster in Cambridge than in any other part of the country, according to a new survey.

It takes 27 days on average for properties in the university city - home to many science and technology firms - to change hands, said property website Rightmove.

The slowest area for shifting a property is Powys in mid-Wales, where it takes an average of 113 days to sell a house.

But overall Rightmove found that the housing market has gained pace with properties across the UK on average selling ten days faster than a year ago.

Earlier this week data from the Office for National Statistics revealed that UK house prices rose 10.5% compared to a year ago, while prices in London jumped 20.1%. This means that the average home in the capital now costs £492,000, compared to £262,000 across the country.

Next to Cambridge the two other fastest selling areas in the UK are the London boroughs of Lewisham and Sutton, taking 29 days in each case to exchange contracts.