Richmond has been named the happiest place to live in London, according research.

The findings from Rightmove also placed Richmond as the eighth happiest in the UK.

Almost 17,000 people across Great Britain were asked to rank how happy they felt in their area based on twelve factors, ranging from the friendliness of neighbours to how good the local services are.

The findings showed that a sense of belonging and freedom to be yourself are all more important than the money you have.

Richmond Council's leader, councillor Paul Hodgins, said: "It is great to come top again and get confirmation of how we feel about Richmond locally.

“It is a superb place to live and work, and our residents and businesses are happy as a result of the quality of life in the borough.”

He added: “We go a step further in our friendly rivalry with other boroughs and say that Richmond is the best borough to live in. One of our borough's Freeman, Sir David Attenborough, says it is his favourite place in the world. We agree.”

Be Richmond chairman Erick Kervaon said: “We are delighted to win this prestigious award for the third successive year, especially as it comes hot on the heels of Richmond upon Thames being named among the UK’s top 10 most vibrant retail locations. Richmond is a fantastic place to live.

“It has a beautiful riverside setting, a wonderful selection of shops and restaurants, an amazing cultural offer and superb transport links.”

The council’s resident survey last year showed that 97 per cent of residents were satisfied with the local area and there are more than 18,000 volunteers contributing to the community.