Shropshire one of the best places to start a family, says study

The county came up trumps in a survey based on average house prices, school exam performance, the level of victim-based crime and life expectancy.

It was named the sixth best place to settle down in the study by estate agent eMoov, sandwiched between neighbouring Cheshire which came fifth and Staffordshire which was seventh.

But it fared much better than the West Midlands, which was ranked among the worst five of the 46 areas included in the study.

The findings have been backed by a childcare worker in the county, who said the area's mix of busy towns and rolling countryside made it attractive to people looking to start a family.

Cumbria was named the best place to start a family in the study, with values such as good schools, long life expectancy, low crime and affordable property.

Following Cumbria were Derbyshire, Tyne and Wear, and Lincolnshire.

Despite being the capital of the country, London with its high cost of housing was judged the worst.

The higher price of property was the most negatively influential factor, with the bottom five on the list compromising of areas from the Midlands and further south. London was joined in the bottom five by Bedfordshire, Oxfordshire, the West Midlands and Surrey.

Toni Hunt, who works for Childcare Support on Site on the High Street in Telford, said she thought settling down in Shropshire is appealing because of its mix of rural countryside and busy towns.

She said: "I would say it's because it's rural, and it's a mix of towns and countryside.

"It's one of the most rural counties, but still they are of close proximity to towns.

"My point of view is that people want to raise their kids in an environment that is clean and healthy and in a quiet, friendly area.

"They want to built up relationship with their neighbours, whereas in the cities it's people you don't know.

"It's the freedom to go outside and play without as much worry as you would do in a city."