middlesborough worst place to liveMiddlesbrough has been voted as the worst place to live in the UK as part of a special Location, Location, Location poll, it has been announced.

Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer will announce the decision on Channel Four tomorrow night, with the town's residents having to endure a placing in the top ten for the third year in a row.

Those same residents are paid an average of just £16,998 a year, the study found – some £6,500 below the national average.

"Each year we seem to create a storm of controversy with this survey but it's all based on official data," said Phil Spencer, according to the Daily Mirror.

But it's not all bad, according to Kirstie herself, who argued that a placing on the list sometimes represented a chance to make a case for a previously-unheralded area.

"What I want more than anything is to champion, not condemn, the places on the worst list as there are some real diamonds in the rough," said Ms Allsopp.

One such example might be Islington – seventh on the list but recently voted the second most stylish place to live in London.