People in Fenland are the most unhappy in the UK, according to a new survey from the Office for National Statistics.

The annual survey, which covers the 12 months to the end of March, asked people aged 16 and over across the UK to rate four areas of their personal wellbeing.

Three of the areas - their happiness, life satisfaction and sense of the things they do in life being worthwhile - are ranked on a scale from zero to 10, with 10 being the highest.

The average happiness score for people in Fenland was 6.7, the lowest score in the UK compared to the average score of 7.52.

This year’s score was a drop from 2016-17, when happiness was at 7.61.

Overall, 60pc of people in Fenland ranked their happiness between seven and 10, meaning either high or very high, compared to 75.4pc in the UK.

A fourth question in the survey asks people to rank how anxious they felt on the previous day, with zero being ‘not at all anxious’ and 10 being ‘completely anxious’.

The population in Fenland appears to have become more stressed over the last year, with anxiety levels creeping up to 3.17 - above the UK average of 2.89.

According to ONS research, people’s views about their health, employment, and relationship status are the factors most likely to impact how they rate their personal wellbeing.

Bad health was the most significant factor associated with reports of poor well-being, followed by being economically inactive with a long-term illness or disability.

Disability charity Scope said employers’ outdated attitudes and inflexible working practices were keeping disabled people out of work.

James Taylor, head of policy at Scope, said: “This needs to change. Government and employers need to all become disability gamechangers by challenging negative attitudes and tackling the many barriers disabled people face.”

The ONS report noted that employment worries went beyond just having a job, and also concerned the quality of job security, wages and work-life balance.

It continued: “Reducing disparities in life expectancy and health, access to skills and education, good jobs and affordable homes should be an important priority for achieving inclusive growth in all areas.”

The happiest place in the UK this year was in Rushmoor in Hampshire.