MALDON is one of the sunniest locations to live in the UK, a new study has revealed.

In a study by the bank Halifax, Maldon has been ranked 17th in the UK for the highest number of weekly hours of sunshine per year, with 33.7 hours.

Other areas of the East of England also made the top 20, with Rochford and Southend-on-Sea coming in at 19th and 12th place respectively.

The bank made the findings using Met Office figures - and said all of the 20 sunniest places to live are in the South East, the South West or the East of England.

The top seven locations for most sunshine also had house prices less than the national average of £252,983.

However, Maldon’s house prices came in higher, with the average price for a house in the town standing at £350,367.

The cheapest location to buy a house with the most hours of sunlight was Weymouth and Portland in the South West, with 35.8 hours sun per week and an average house price of £204,447.

Andy Bickers, mortgages director at Halifax, said: "As a nation with a longstanding obsession with the weather, we usually associate sunshine with the South - as well as scorching house prices.

"The good news is that house-hunters after a place in the sun can max out the rays for less than the average UK house price in many of the hottest locations."