Three Hertfordshire local authority areas have made the top 10 in a countdown of the most expensive places per square metre outside London.

Three Rivers performed best, ranking third with an average cost per square metre of £5,781, followed by St Albans in fourth place (£5,697) and Hertsmere in sixth (£5,484).

Surrey took the top two spots, with Elmbridge coming first by some margin (£7,110) followed by Mole Valley (£5,870).

PlumbNation analysed Land Registry figures for average property prices compared to the average size of a home in each area to make the findings.

The average property price across England and Wales was £271,360, with a typical cost per square metre of £2,936.

Welwyn Hatfield was next in the list of the 50 most expensive areas outside the capital, coming 19th with an average cost per square metre of £4,823, followed by Dacorum in 21st (£4,749), East Herts in 27th (£4,581) Watford in 31st (£4,392), Broxbourne in 32nd (£4,375) and North Herts in 44th (£4,073).

Stevenage confirmed its status as the most affordable local authority area in Herts, ranking 114th with an average cost per square metre of £3,326.