You don’t need to be a sleuth to see Blyth is a hotspot

VERA FILMING LOCATION IS ON 2017 LIST FOR SEASIDE PROPERTY PRICES

IT was once a thriving coastal spot known for its coal mining and shipbuilding.

Now, Blyth is scoring points in another area - seaside property.

The Northumberland town - a filming location for ITV’s detective drama Vera - has been named as the only location in the North of England to make the top 10 hotspots of 2017.

Average property prices there have grown by 5.64% since June 2016 to reach £130,566. It came eighth in the top 10 league table.

Broadstairs, in Kent, was identified as Britain’s top seaside property hotspot of the year.

With its vintage, family-friendly charm and its close connections with author Charles Dickens, Broadstairs has seen average property values surge by 10.45% in the last 12 months and has overtaken neighbouring Margate, which topped the league last year, according to research from Zoopla.

Margate was pushed into fifth place in this year’s study.

The property website analysed average property prices across Britain’s popular seaside locations over the last 12 months to find the strongest and weakest-performing coastal towns for 2017.

Southern England continues to dominate the rankings, with Walton-on-the-Naze, Sidmouth and Penzance following Broadstairs and seeing average property price