A NORTH Yorkshire town has been named as the safest in the UK for new families, according to new research.

The research, by Electric Ride on Cars, looked into the safety rating of cities around the UK to reveal the safest, as well as the most dangerous, areas to raise a child. The largest 200 towns and cities by population were compiled from the list on the geographist.

The data shows Harrogate to be the safest place to raise a child, as the North Yorkshire town has the highest safety score of 88.13. Chelmsford followed closely behind with a safety score of 79.48 - and the average score was only 54.96.

Harrogate also had the highest number of 'Outstanding' schools. Home to some private schools, as well as a high rate of high-quality state schools, almost 30 per cent of them are rated 'Outstanding' by OFSTED.

The North-Western city of Chester ranked in third place with a safety score of 79.3. Another Northern city in the top 10 on the list was York, ranking sixth place with a safety score of 75.35.

Bradford was bottom of the list, with a low score of 29.97 - and Coventry followed closely behind with a low score of 29.75.