Paris overtook London as the top destination for property investors in the second half of 2011 through deals worth a total €7.9bn, against €7.8bn in central London. The UK capital had topped every previous version of the list compiled by CBRE, a leading estate agent.

The sudden jump in Parisian deals compared with a more subdued first half, when the French capital attracted €3.6bn, around half the amount of money invested in London.