The agent surveyed the total cost--including rent, service charge and local property taxes--of leasing a shed in a prime location in 56 cities around the world. The second most expensive industrial or distribution space is in Silicon Valley in Anaheim, California, at $16.80 (£11.77) per sf. And Dublin, Ireland now has the third most expensive space after costs soared 74% in the past 6 months from $9.52 (£7.00) to $16.59 (£11.47) per sf.

Catherine Burke, European Researcher at King Sturge said that Heathrow's high costs were a reflection of the high value of the Pound Sterling and the success of the UK and London economy. 'The survey shows the top locations are also the places where the economy has grown strongly in recent years and where there is competition with other land uses, including offices and residential, but also tight planning restrictions,' she said.

And for those who find top rents too expensive, the cheapest industrial locations in the world are Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, at $5.21 (£3.65) per sf; Shanghai, China at $3.32 (£2.33) per sf and Dubai, UAE, at $1.91 (£1.34) per sf.