House prices rose 0.8% on the month and 5.2% on the year in July, taking the average house price to £282,000, figures from the Office for National Statistics showed.

Growth in London house prices slowed to 5.5%, falling below the average for the rest of England. Prices in the east of England led the way higher, rising 8.3%, followed by those in the southeast, up 6.7%. Prices in Scotland fell 1.3%.

July data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders showed a 33% rise in the level of buy-to-let mortgages, to £1.6bn.