SIDMOUTH resident John Dyson is the man to talk to about the town s property prices.

SIDMOUTH resident John Dyson is the man to talk to about the town's property prices.

Following a Herald report last month on how Sidmouth average house prices are amongst the highest of the UK's coastal resorts, Mr Dyson has revealed an encyclopaedic knowledge in the fluctuation of property prices in the region.

Former city analyst John, who is a town councillor, has spent the past eight years maintaining a database of locations in England and Wales based on figures from the Land Registry.

"I have a personal interest in it", said John Been. "I've hired as a consultant but maintain it out of interest more than anything else."

John's figures show a staggering 333 per cent jump in prices in the town from 1997 to 2007, and dropping by 14.2 per cent since then.

John's verdict for the Sidmouth property market in the near future: "Prices are going to go nowhere for the next six months.