THE Craven district - which includes Ingleton, Bentham, Settle and Clapham - has scored the highest ratings for happiness and life satisfaction in the UK, according to a new survey.

Residents rated their level of happiness as 8.3 out of 10 - well above the national average of 7.5.

For life satisfaction they rated 8.5, compared with a UK average of 7.7.

The district was also rated the lowest for levels of anxiety in the new figures.

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Craven District Council’s Chief Executive, Paul Shevlin: “It’s fantastic that Craven is officially the happiest place in the country - as you might expect, I’m very happy to hear this.

"We’re often recognised as one of the best places to live and this is hardly surprising when you look at our beautiful countryside, brilliant schools, amazing communities and our warm and friendly people. I’m very proud to live in Craven and all our residents and businesses should be proud too.”

The survey was compiled by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) between April 2016 and March 2017.

It shows an increase in the UK-wide average for happiness and life satisfaction, compared with the previous year.

The ONS acknowledged the figures "may surprise some", given they cover a period of "political change and uncertainty".

Statistician Matthew Steel said: "It's worth noting that employment rates rose during the period covered by this report, and other ONS analysis showed people perceiving an improvement in their own financial situations and in the overall economy.

"These are factors we believe may account for some people's increased sense of personal wellbeing."

Craven also recorded the lowest level of anxiety, the statistics revealed.

Residents were asked the question "Overall, how anxious did you feel yesterday?", where 0 is "not at all anxious" and 10 is "completely anxious".

The average rating was 2.1 out of 10, compared with a national average of 2.9.