LYME Regis has been named one of the most expensive seaside towns in the UK, according to new research from Zoopla.

The property website has named the west Dorset town as having the fourth most expensive property value in the country. The average property value for Lyme Regis in July 2016 was £402,634. Salcombe in Devon topped the list with an average value of £598,230.

Mayor of Lyme Regis, Cllr Owen Lovell, believes attitudes and legislation must change in order to solve the town's growing number of second homes. In May, it was revealed that 20 per cent of all properties in the resort are second homes.

He said: "Of course for an existing property owner this is good news, but for those seeking a property, it is not so good.

"I have to say I do not know the answer. If we build, we end up with a large number of second homes from so-called affordable housing. The only housing I will support at this time is rented, as that at the present time through the likes of the Community Land Trust, gives us the greatest control going forward.

"I do think we need a change of attitude and legislation to control second homes, if the likes of Lyme Regis is to have any success."

The only other Dorset seaside town to make the list was Swanage, which took 10th place with an average price of £330,901.

Aldeburgh in Suffolk was named in third place by Zoopla with an average property price of £490,182, ahead of Southwold, also in Suffolk, with an average of £434,618 for property value.

Many other south west seaside town have actually seen a decline in property value. Two of Devon's most popular holiday spots, Ilfracombe and Woolacombe have both declined by more than two per cent - and feature in the bottom 10, alongside Cornwall's Looe and Perranporth, due to their falling average property values.