Colchester is among the most cheerful places in the country, researchers say.

A study based on Essex University data has ranked every district in Britain, from the merriest to the most melancholy.

It found chirpy chaps in Colchester were looking on the bright side – lifting the town to 16th place nationwide – while frowning folk in Tendring saw the area placed a lowly 178th out of 273.

The table used responses to questions in the university’s British Household Panel Survey, plus background data like the age, income, educational background and employment status of residents.

Sparsely-populated Brecknock, Montgomery and Radnor in Wales was named the UK’s happiest district, while Edinburgh emerged as the grumpiest.

The survey was welcomed today by Colchester’s MP, while Tendring Council’s tourism chief said the researchers should adopt a brighter outlook themselves, by getting out and about on the district’s sunshine coast.

Colchester MP Bob Russell said: “I welcome anything that promotes Colchester, and the quality of life here is certainly pretty good.

“That said, my advice surgery today was full of people who were not happy at all.”

He added: “I would advise anyone who is feeling down in the dumps in Colchester to take a walk through the beautiful setting of Castle Park or Highwoods Country Park – it lifts the morale no end.”