TWO locations in East Lancashire have been named among the Best Places to Live in Britain by The Sunday Times.

The Ribble Valley and Ramsbottom have been listed as standout areas in the North West ahead of the full reveal of The Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide, which is published on Sunday.

The list, carried out in association with Habito, assesses a wide range of factors, from jobs, schools and broadband speed to culture, community spirit and local shops.

Ramsbottom has been praised for its 'independent restaurants in a handsome town centre of rugged northern stone' as part of the study.

The Ribble Valley has also been named in a list of 12 places in the North West, which also features Chester, Liverpool's Georgian Quarter and Manchester's Castlefield.

Helen Davies, The Sunday Times Home editor, said: "There is much to celebrate, and Britain is scattered with thriving towns and villages, cool cities and suburbs, though people may be surprised how many traditional favourites haven’t made the cut in 2018.”

The guide has named Altrincham, Cheshire, as the best place to live in the North West.

To rank the locations statistics were used along with knowledge from The Sunday Times’s expert panel.