People living in the south-east town of Wokingham have the best quality of life in the Great Britain, Halifax has claimed.

According to the firm, householders in the town earn among the highest wages in the UK and live in larger houses, with life expectancy for newborns there standing at 80 years, one of the highest anywhere in the country.

Halifax also said that Wokingham clocks up an hour and half more sunshine each week than the British average but Martin Ellis, chief group economist, pointed out that it is not a cheap option for buyers.

"Living in Wokingham comes at a price with house prices £45,000 above the average for the south-east."

However, he added that those looking for a less expensive area that still offers a good standard of life, areas such as Fareham, Bracknell Forrest and Aylesbury Vale are also good options.

The Bank of Scotland, Halifax''s sister firm, revealed today that residents in Aberdeenshire, located in the north of the country, have the highest quality of life in Scotland, thanks to small primary school classes and higher than average earnings.