RENTS in England have soared by an average of 9.3 per cent over the last year, reaching a record high, the latest official figures revealed today.

The figure for the 12 months to November was up from 8.8 per cent the previous month and higher than the previous record high of 9.1 per cent in March.

In London, the average annual inflation was higher, at 11.6 per cent, according to Office for National Statistics data.