By Helen Geraghty

A Kent-based property developer announced today that recent sales figures had rocketed by more than half.

The figures, from housebuilder Hillreed Homes, a privately-owned company based in Maidstone, came on the same day that the Office for National Statistics unexpectedly released figures showing the country was still in recession.

Hillreed Homes said that in July its sales turnover was up by 60 per cent on the same month the previous year.

. “These are remarkable figures and show that despite the doom mongers, there are still a lot of people who want to move and who, frankly, have the wherewithal to do sosaid:Dean Markall, Sales and Marketing Director at Hillreed Homes

months of the year, the actual sales turnover figures are up by a remarkable percentage.five, and though prices were reduced for the first homes“Each year we build on average 150

"This shows that properties sell when they are priced sensibly, in fine locations and built to a design and style that people want to live in."

Even in notoriously quiet August, the latest month for which figures are available, sales turnover was still up by 36 per cent on the previous year.

The Office for National Statistics announced at 9.30 today (Friday) that the UK economy contracted by 0.4 per cent between July and September, meaning the country is still in recession.

Earlier in the day, many top financial analysts had predicted the ONS figures could show a small growth, meaning the recession would have been over.