HOME buyers looking for their perfect coastal retreat could be helped by a new interactive tool.

Interiors company Hillarys came up with the idea after a poll of 2,127 UK homeowners found that over half - 53 per cent - wished they lived closer to a beach.

The online search tool - www.hillarys.co.uk/static/find-your-dream-seaside-location - has been designed to help people find the best seaside resort to relocate to, depending on what is important to them.

Factors such as the number of outstanding schools in the area, commuting times, quality of beaches and the number of bars and restaurants have been researched in order to give potential buyers an idea of their most suited British beachside spot, with Blackpool coming out on top overall.

According to results, St Andrews in Scotland has the highest scoring beaches, Brighton is the best place to live if restaurants are a priority and Tynemouth is the ideal choice for those with little ones looking for great schools.

Using the tool and taking into account every factor, from house price to best beach rating, it was found that the top 10 coastal areas with the best overall score are:

1 Blackpool

2 Great Yarmouth

3 Poole

4 Brighton

5 Whitby

6 Newquay

7 Looe

8 Bournemouth

9 Torquay

10 Skegness.