Cheap beer and safety make Telford one of the UK's best nights out according to new data

The rankings, from Get Licensed, show only Newcastle, York and Warrington classed as a better bet for an evening on the tiles – while the capital was sat on top of the 'worst night out' table.

The question of why Telford scored so high is mainly down to cheap drinks, and people feeling safe, according to the data.

It lists an average pint of beer at just £3.69 in the borough – the second lowest in the top ten by some margin.

Concern at the prospect of being assaulted also saw the town score extremely high, with only three per cent worried about being attacked – easily the lowest score in the top ten.

Jack Partridge, who runs The Lion Inn, in Priorslee, said he might have been surprised to see Telford so high but said the town had plenty going for it as a venue for a night out.

He said strong local pubs were the backbone of an evening out in the town, with venues in the town centre leisure destination Southwater also proving popular for younger people – and the ability to get easy transport between them making a big difference.

He said: "We were talking about this and I think it is a lot to do with pricing, but also it is easy in terms of transport. There are buses everywhere, there are taxis, and you can get a taxi and go anywhere in five minutes.

"We get a lot who come in for 'pre's' as they call them, and they have a few drinks here then pop down to town, which is not far, that's five minutes away."

He said that safety was undoubtedly a bonus, saying the area compared well with other parts of the UK when it comes down to violence.

He said: "I have been here for a year and a bit now and I have never heard anyone having a bad night out in terms of trouble."

Mr Partridge said he was less convinced that young customers were that concerned about price – partly because they seem to drink less than older generations.

He said: "I don't think price is a massive one for them because a lot of youngsters now are not that bothered about paying a couple of quid extra for a decent pint. A lot of them are not going out to get mind-bogglingly drunk, they are just going out to have a good time."

David Gregg, managing director of Albert's Shed, which runs a successful live music venue at Southwater, said they were now seeing more people on a night out than pre-Covid.

He said: "It is busy, every week. Our place kind of falls between the big concert and theatre venues and the local pub that puts on a musician in the corner. It is a dedicated live music venue but it is not the same price as going to a show so it is affordable for people to go to on a weekly basis."

David said they had anywhere up to 1,000 customers on a night out, adding that with more venues popping up in Southwater, the area would continue to develop and bring in more people as a 'destination' night out.