HOUSES in the borough of Hounslow have almost doubled in value in some areas, it was revealed this week.

The shocking revelation comes after the Halifax bank revealed in its latest figures that the average house price for the UK had risen above the £100,000 mark for the first time ever. Average prices for houses in the borough of Hounslow, however, are far above this figure.

Mark Gray, of Barnard Marcus Estate Agents in Feltham revealed a worrying rise over the last three years.

He revealed that house prices in Feltham had almost doubled since he joined the company a little over three years ago.

Houses that were going for £65,000 when I first arrived would now cost around the £115,000 mark [a two-bedroom house]. A house with three or four bedrooms would cost between 160 and £180,000.''

Hounslow was a little pricier with a 2 bedroom terrace setting you back £140,000 and a 3-4 bedroom house more than doubling the national average, and weighing in at £215-220,000.

Neither area compared to Isleworth however.

Jake Adams, of Isleworth agents Young and Manser revealed that even a two bedroom house on the river in Old Isleworth would be £300,000, and at the cheap' end of town would be a mere snip at £135,000.

In Osterley, you could expect to pay anywhere between £500-800,000.

It's just a really popular area.''

Halifax's rival mortgage lender found that prices had grown by 0.2% in January alone, with the annual growth rate a staggering 11.7%. However both companies told the BBC that the current growth rates were unlikely to be sustained: We continue to expect slowing UK economic growth and rising unemployment will result in an easing in house price inflation over the course of 2002.''