The town has been ranked seventh from the bottom of Britain's happiest places in research carried out by the British Household Panel Survey.

The research is based on the general well-being of the town, employment, health and education.

The information was revealed this week at the annual Royal Geographical Society and Institute of British Geographers' Conference.

Researchers also found that living in the same place for more than five years added to people's personal well-being, while unemployment does not lead to severe unhappiness if your neighbours are unemployed too.

Dr Dimitris Ballas of Sheffield University's Department of Geography,who helped carry out the research, said: "There really is something about the intrinsic nature of places which can influence happiness and wellbeing. The environment, lack of green spaces, air and noise pollution, crime rates: all of these influence happiness."

The list compiling of 273 towns and cities is the first of its kind to measure the importance of geography on happiness. The survey is used from data compiled by the British Household Panel Survey and the Census of the UK population.

Brecknock, Montgomery and Radnor in Powys was named the happiest place in Britain, with Manchester in second place. Edinburgh came bottom of the list as the most miserable city.