House prices rose for the fourth month in succession driven by a relative shortage of properties for sale, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics).

The last Rics survey revealed that the number of surveyors reporting price rises outstripped those reporting falls, with a positive balance of 35. The results are the strongest reading since November 2006 and the positive trend is likely to continue.

"For the fourth month in a row, the survey points towards prices rising, even though the general state of the economy would suggest that the housing market should not be faring as well as it is," said Rics spokesman Ian Perry.