DUDLEY has been rated one of the safest places to live in the UK, according to a study carried out by Confused.com.

A team at the popular insurance comparison website measured the security of 32 of the biggest cities/towns in the UK, along with relevant postcodes, to work out the safest place to live.

Looking at factors like burglaries, ambulance response time and the number of police officers, the data highlighted which cities are considered the 'safest' and Dudley was found to be in the top ten.

It comes in at number eight - just behind Birmingham and ahead of Cardiff and Northampton which were ranked 9th and 10th safest.

Liverpool was rated as the safest place - based on a low crime rate and high CCTV coverage.

The top 10 most secure postcode groups in the UK

1 Liverpool

2 Coventry

3 Leicester

4 London

5 Milton Keynes

6 Plymouth

7 Birmingham

8 Dudley

9 Cardiff

10 Northampton

The Most Secure Postcodes report, which can be seen online at Confused.com, also looked at factors that make people safe and unsafe and the study revealed that loitering on the streets has the biggest influence on people’s sense of security.

More than two in five (42 per cent) of Brits claim loitering makes them feel 'very unsafe'.

Top 5 factors that make Brits feel unsafe and secure where they live:

1 Loitering on the streets (42%)

2 Stretched emergency services (38%)

3 Presence of homeless people (31%)

4 High population (20%)

5 Distance to hospital (6%)

5 Low population (6%)

In contrast, low crime rates and the number of streetlights and officers on the beat are among the most important factors for helping Brits feel safe where they live - and the research found that half (51 per cent) of Brits say the sense of safety and security in an area would highly influence their decision to live there.

Top 5 factors that make Brits feel very safe and secure where they live:

1 Low crime rates in the area (35%)

2 Number of streetlights (21%)

3 Seeing police on the streets (21%)

4 Physically clean streets (16%)

5 Neighbourhood watch (14%)

Jessica Willock, home insurance expert at Confused.com, said: “When it comes to choosing where to live, safety is a key consideration. Low crime rates or great emergency services are more likely to make us feel safe and happy living in an area, but this doesn’t mean we’re not at risk of theft or burglaries.

“We are responsible for keeping our properties secure, although many people are confused about the most effective way to do this. Our expert advice suggests that installing a burglar alarm could offer the best security, with some being more sophisticated than others. Not only this, but having certain types of alarms installed could offer a discount on home insurance costs. This is good news for everyone, even those who live in areas where crime is more common.”