A TEACHER from Preston has given up the job he loves at a Berkshire school because of spiralling property prices in the South of England.

Martin Harrison, 30, who was born and raised in Walmer Bridge, has been working at the Holt School, an all-girl establishment in Wokingham.

But this week, Martin, who studied at the University of Central Lancashire, made national news when he gave up his post to move back up north.

Martin said: "The school is brilliant and I have loved every minute of it, but the fact is I just cannot afford to live down here.

"In three years the rent on my flat has gone up from £340 to £430 a month, while my salary remained at just under £20,000. Prices here are astronomical and I can't cope an longer."

Crunch time for Martin came in January when it was so cold he came home from school and settled down to work in his coat, hat and gloves.

"It was like a Dickens novel. I had to light candles because I couldn't afford the heating costs," he confessed. "Family and friends are astounded by the prices here -- for the price of a flat I could buy a mansion in Preston!" Martin is one of 10 teachers to have resigned from Holt School in the last year.

He is now looking forward to starting a new job at St Peter and Paul's school in Widnes in September, where he hopes living costs will be substantially less.

Kathleen Houghton, group marketing manager for Progress Housing Group -- which helps people find affordable properties to rent in South Ribble -- said: "We provide good quality affordable housing for rent all over the North West and we have noticed some people are moving from the south to avoid high property prices.

"However, demand for houses in South Ribble is really strong so we can't help everybody, but we encourage applications from people in work including teachers. None of our properties cost as much as those he described."