MIDDLEWICH residents were given a pleasant surprise last week when the town was named as one of the most desirable postcodes in the country.

The Middlewich CW10 postcode was listed in fourth place after a study carried out to mark the 40th anniversary of the postcode.

Clr Paul Edwards, Middlewich town mayor, is elated with the news and has stated that the recognition can only bring good things to the town such as the in-demand railway station.

Clr Edwards said: “We really appreciate where we live, we don’t have a lot but we should appreciate what we have.

“I think the report is really good because it’s not about swimming pools or cinemas it’s about access to jobs and affordable housing which Middlewich is really good for.

“Fourth in the country is really something we should be proud of, people will again be asking ‘where is Middlewich?’ well we are here and we have lots of annual events people can come to.

“Recognition like this will also add justification for money to be spent in Middlewich like Cheshire Fresh and hopefully it can encourage investment in things like the railway station.”

The study took various factors into account to come up with the top postcodes in the country, including employment opportunities, education, crime levels, homelessness, and housing affordability.

Cheshire Police have revealed that the crime rate is among the best in Middlewich and say they think it does attract people to the town.

Chris Pyatt, detective sergeant based in Congleton, said: “I think people see crime rate as one of the main factors when moving house, if I was moving house I’d look to see the crime rate straight away and it is definitely a deciding factor.

“The crime levels are low in Middlewich and I’m not entirely sure what the reason for that it, maybe it’s because it’s a small town and quite rural.

“Burglaries in Middlewich are really low and we don’t get travelling criminals targeting Middlewich, they tend to target the likes of Holmes Chapel and Congleton.

“We also have a thing called the prolific offenders list, and Middlewich doesn’t have anyone on the list, which is really unusual as Congleton as up to 10 at any one time.”