KIDDERMINSTER has been identified as one of the top property hotspots in Britain for growth in house sellers' asking prices over the past year.

A Rightmove study of house movements across Britain, but excluding London, put the average price tag for a property in Kidderminster at £200,343 - a year-on-year increase of 10.1 per cent.

The town scored 4th on a list of the top property hotspots in the country, with Barry in South Wales topping the list, followed by Wednesbury in the West Midlands and Llandudno in north Wales.

At the other end of the spectrum, asking prices in Esher in Surrey have seen the biggest fall over the past year - with a 6.7 per cent decrease pushing the average price tag below the £1m mark.

The top five property hotspots, according to Rightmove, with the average asking price and the year-on-year increase:

1. Barry, £191,050, 10.6%

2. Wednesbury, £151,667, 10.1%

3. Llandudno, £212,400, 10.1%

4. Kidderminster, £200,343, 10.0%

5. Leigh, £137,614, 9.7%

The five places with the biggest decreases in asking prices over the past year in Rightmove's study, with the average asking price and the year-on-year decrease:

1. Esher, £958,012, minus 6.7%

2. Banbury, £248,462, minus 6.6%

3. Leatherhead, £566,625, minus 6.3%

4. Sandhurst, £409,370, minus 5.5%

5. Woking, £491,007, minus 5.1%