THE number of million-pound homes sold in south-west Hampshire rose by 40 per cent last year, latest figures have revealed.

In 2006, 91 homes in the area sold for more than £1m - up from 65 the previous year.

The richest property hot spot is the New Forest area where 34 homes fetched seven-figure sums last year. Runner-up was Winchester with 30 houses swelling Millionaires' Row.

Test Valley notched up 18 sales of £1m homes. Lagging behind were Eastleigh (three), Fareham (two) and the Isle of Wight (two).

At the bottom of the heap, with just a single home each going for more than £1m in 2006, were Gosport and Southampton.

Last year's sales took the total number of million-pound home deals in south-west Hampshire to 295 since 2001. The official figures from the Land Registry will be seen as a further sign of the growing divide between housing haves and have-nots as rocketing prices push properties beyond the reach of would-be first-time buyers.

While workers on average incomes are finding it increasingly difficult to get on the property ladder, those already with a foot in the door appear to be laughing all the way to the bank.

Last year a Halifax report said that the number of homes in the UK worth £1m or more was 20 times higher than ten years ago.

There are now 66,600 homes worth more than £1m in the UK, up from 3,400 in the mid-90s.

The figures followed the long-awaited Lyons report into council tax, published last month.

Sir Michael Lyons recommended the creation of two extra council tax bands - one at each end of the house price spectrum.

This sparked nervousness in the south-east, where booming house prices mean that many would face higher bills.

However, the Government says that it has no plans to change the current banding structure of council tax.

Local government minister Phil Woolas said: "The present system will remain for the foreseeable future an acceptable basis for local authorities to raise locally a proportion of their resources."