Picardy is an easy part of France to get to from the UK, it has been stated.

Commenting on the ease of travel from Britain to the northern French region, marketing and PR manager for Picardy tourist board Claude Chaboud said: "From London there is the Eurostar and the ferries, so it is very, very accessible."

He also noted that there are direct flights to Picardy from Glasgow.

Such access could entice French property buyers to the region, as this could enable them to live there and commute to work in Britain, while it is also easy for British tourists to reach.

Some tourists come to the area to see sites from the Western Front in the First World War, Mr Chaboud said.

The French property market may also be helped by the high number of UK visitors to ski areas.

Director of the tourist office for the French government Maison de la France Jean-Pierre Courteau said earlier this month: "We have 400,000 British skiers in France and they are still the main group in the French Alps and the Pyrenees."