Osborne says vigilance needed on house prices

LONDON (Reuters) - Chancellor George Osborne said on Thursday vigilance is needed about the rise in British house prices, but that there is a distinction between London, where prices are booming, and elsewhere in the country. "I think we have to keep a close eye, clearly house prices have started to rise..." Osborne told a committee of lawmakers. "You should at least draw distinction between some of the phenomena you see in central London, which is caused by international money and the like coming into central London property as a form of investment, and what you see in most other places." Osborne also said he had not seen evidence that the Help to Buy mortgage equity loan programme had boosted house prices. (Reporting by Andy Bruce; Editing by Ana Nicolaci da Costa)