Now you get £2m for passing GO

IT MUST be the ultimate reflection of how London property prices have rocketed. There's no point in even deciding to be the Monopoly hat or dog these days unless you are prepared to part with millions of pounds.

The game has been updated for a special edition and where Leicester Square once cost a mere £260, the new board has Soho on sale for £3m.

Regent Street costs £2.8m and East End property, formerly the cheapest, is second only to the City in value thanks to Canary Wharf.

All of which makes the £2m for passing GO - up from £200 - essential. The revamp isn't confined solely to prices in the game's first property makeover since manufacturer Waddingtons launched it in Britain 70 years ago.

Roads and neighbourhoods have given way to leisure venues, including the Science Museum, the new Wembley Stadium and Portobello market, reflecting the growth of London tourism. New playing pieces include an in-line skate, a skateboard, a mobile phone and a Formula 1 racing car.

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The mainline rail stations have been dropped in favour of Heathrow, Gatwick, London City and Stansted airports. And there are big changes in the Chance and Community Chest cards. Now you can make £100,000 by winning a reality TV show or be fined £150,000 for talking on a mobile while driving.

But the Free Parking square is still there. Just where do you find that in London today?

Monopoly Here And Now Special Edition, on sale from 20 June, priced £19.99

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