MIDDLEWICH is said to have one of the 'most desirable' postcodes in the UK, according to a new study.

The research was carried out to mark the 40th anniversary of the postcode and was conducted in conjunction with the Centre for Economic and Business Research (CEBR).

It placed Middlewich in Cheshire in fourth place, narrowly behind St Bees in Cumbria, Yateley in Hampshire and Tidworth in Wiltshire, which was top.

The study took the following factors into account, using data from government agencies, the Office for National Statistics and the Land Registry.

  • Employment opportunities
  • Health
  • Education and training opportunities
  • Levels of crime
  • Homelessness
  • Household overcrowding
  • Ease of access to local services
  • Quality of the physical environment
  • Housing affordability

There are around 1.8 million postcodes across the UK, covering a total of over 29 million addresses.

The 10 most desirable postcodes are:

1. SP9 -Tidworth, Wiltshire

2. GU46 - Yateley, Hampshire

3. CA27 - St Bees, Cumbria

4. CW10 - Middlewich, Cheshire

5. RG6 - Earley, Berkshire

6. GU52 - Church Crookham, Hampshire

7. MK8 - north west Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

8. CA20 - Gosforth/Seascale, Cumbria

9. DE3 - Mickleover, Derbyshire

10. CA24 - Moor Row, Cumbria