Most 'Desirable' Postcodes Revealed

Royal Mail has published a table of the most "desirable'' postcode areas based on crime, jobs and health, with a seaside resort, city and village among those listed.

The study was commissioned to mark the 40th anniversary of the allocation of postcodes to every address in Britain, which the Royal Mail said "revolutionised'' the way post was sorted and delivered.

South Glasgow (G44) was top in Scotland, followed by Erskine (PA8) and Largs (KA30), while Brynteg on Anglesey (LL78) was said to have the most desirable postcode in Wales, followed by Llantwit Major (CF61) and Llanidloes (SY18).

Steve Rooney, head of Royal Mail's address management unit, said: "The invention of the postcode revolutionised the way post is sorted and delivered. As it has evolved, the postcodes have also revolutionised the way companies do business.

"The postcode is now used by businesses and individuals in their everyday activities, whether that is verifying a person's address when making a transaction or planning a route on a sat-nav system.''

There are around 1.8 million postcodes across the UK, covering 29 million addresses.

The study by the Centre for Economic and Business Research calculated the most desirable postcodes based on a range of factors including employment opportunities, health, education, crime rates and housing affordability.