A NEW survey reveals most Blaenau Gwent residents are satisfied with the area as a place to live.

That is despite the county borough being rated Britain's seventh worst place to live on TV programme The Best and Worst Places to Live in the UK, earlier this month.

But, in a survey commissioned by Blaenau Gwent council, pollsters Mori found that 77 per cent of those asked said they were satisfied with the area as a place to live.

Mori interviewed 1,053 people aged over 16 in 104 different parts of the county borough, in January and February this year.

Nearly half - 45 per cent - said they were fairly satisfied with the council but only five per cent said they were very satisfied.

Those surveyed said their top five reasons for loving the area were being near to family and friends, a friendly and good community spirit, access to the countryside, convenience for shops, and good schools.

Only 14 per cent of people were dissatisfied with the county borough - with the top five gripes being a lack of police, poor condition of roads and footpaths, unemployment and poor job opportunities, stray dogs and dog mess, and jobs paying low wages.

Residents identified three things they agreed the county should work on. These were improving job prospects, activities for teenagers, and clean streets.

Blaenau Gwent MP and AM Peter Law said he thought the area's community spirit was unmatched anywhere else in Britain.

He said: "The county does have some problems but wherever you go people are full of warmth. I would never live anywhere else. I feel privileged to live here."

Grandmother-of-two Jayne Price, who is 49 and has lived in Tredegar all her life, was one resident who wouldn't dream of living anywhere but Blaenau Gwent.

"I know everyone here and there is a good community spirit, I wouldn't want to go anywhere else," she said.

Barry Ludlow, 64, of Cwm, said he has lived in the village all his life and likes it because it is friendly, especially the older people.

And Joyce Evans, 72, also of Cwm, added: "I have lived here all my life apart from seven years when we moved to Caldicot - but I missed Cwm and we moved back again. It is a nice little village and I never would move anywhere else now."

Her friend 85-year-old Midge Court, who lives opposite, said: "I like the friendliness, I like my bungalow, and I like having my friends nearby."