WARRINGTON has been named as the best place to live in the UK in a new study.

RM Mortgage Solutions has ranked the town as the country’s top area to live and work.

Factors including quality of life, job availability, average income and rent costs were taken into account in compiling the list.

Warwick, Derby, Crawley and Tewkesbury made up the rest of the top five.

The only other towns and cities in the north west which made the top 20 were Poulton-le-Fylde, Carlisle, Preston and Barrow-in-Furness – which featured in ninth, 12th, 13th and 19th respectively.

Eastbourne was named as the worst area in the UK to move to, with Harrow, Tamworth, Gosport and Braintree also in the bottom five.

Company director Richard Moring said: “It’s really interesting to see how the results vary across the UK.

“Some places score very well for quality of life, but the cost of living is much higher.

“At the end of the day, moving location is a balancing act – one area won’t necessarily fulfil everything that you are looking for.

“Prioritising certain elements or making a checklist of likes and dislikes that you can tally up are both great ways to decide if you’d like to live in one area over another.

“Many of the areas ranking highly are well connected and have strong transport links to the largest UK cities – the top five, Warrington, Warwick, Derby, Crawley, and Tewkesbury, are all situated near major motorways.

“You can change many aspects of a property, but not the location or the convenience of the commute.

“If you’re unsure about an area, consider testing the water by renting.

“A lot of time and money goes into buying a house, from researching lenders to completion – taking the time to experience an area can be invaluable when deciding which street, part of town or property type you would like to live in.”