Further evidence of the recovery in the UK housing market has come from figures showing completed residential property sales hit a two-year high in December.
Provisional figures from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) show 104,000 deals involving properties priced above £40,000 were completed in December.
It was the first time since December 2007 that the number has risen above the 100,000 level.
Transaction levels had hit their lowest point during the slump in January 2009.
In that month, only 41,000 properties were sold. This was the smallest number sold in any month since current records began in 1977.

Source: HSE