County gets five-star TV vote

Shropshire is officially a quality place to live after being given a five-star rating by Channel 4's national survey of the best and worst places.

Shropshire did not feature in either the top 20 or bottom 20 of places to live on the Location, Location, Location programme. But on the Channel 4 programme's website Shrewsbury, Bridgnorth, North Shropshire and South Shropshire were all awarded five out of five.

However, Telford and Wrekin and Oswestry were awarded an average of three out of five.

The survey took into account education, employment, crime and average house prices in each area of the UK. Results of this were shown live on Channel 4 on Wednesday night.

Edinburgh, Scotland's capital, came out top and Middlesbrough was rated as the worst place to live.

Channel 4's website said the Bridgnorth area was known for its small market towns, villages and rural countryside.

It says: "The River Severn splits the main town picturesquely into High Town and Low Town, named on account of the noticeable difference in height.

"Unemployment is low at three per cent and residents earn an average of £461 a week."

It also stated Bridgnorth's achievements at winning five consecutive gold medals in the Britain in Bloom competition and a silver award in the European floral competition. Shrewsbury was described as being England's finest Tudor town with good transport links and is known as the gateway to Wales. Flooding issues in the town were mentioned as a downside.

Sixty-five per cent of South Shropshire is classed as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the report states: "The landscape is blessed with a number of historic monuments."

Ludlow's reputation for food was taken into account as it boasts more Michelin-starred restaurants than anywhere else outside of London.

North Shropshire has a low unemployment rate of just three per cent and house prices have crept up above the national average.

Telford and Wrekin was ranked as the 96th most deprived borough in the country, with areas such as Woodside experiencing significant levels of child poverty.

Oswestry has some of the lowest house prices in the county.