Why it pays to live in West Sussex ...

That’s according to an annual ‘quality of life’ study by the Halifax which rated areas on such issues as health, life expectancy, personal wellbeing, earnings, crime rates - and the weather.

Horsham is ranked 19th out of the top 50 and Mid Sussex is ranked at 42nd.

In the very top spot is Winchester, with the Orkney Islands in second place and Wychavon in the West Midlands in third place.

The Isle of Wight is said to be the sunniest place in Britain with an average of 36.9 hours of sunshine a week.

Hart in Hampshire has been rated as the best place to live overrall in the UK for the past five years, but this year dropped to 26th position.

The Halifax says this is partly because of a change in data - this year the number of pubs in a locality and the availability of health clubs and leisure centres have been taken into account for the first time.