GREAT bars and clubs and a wide mix of people are just some of the factors which led to Southampton being crowned one of the best cities in the country to live in if you are young and single.

A study of 1,200 young people across the country, published yesterday, revealed that the city came second among girls and seventh among boys.

The results would come as no surprise to those singletons who are currently enjoying all that Southampton has to offer.

Iain Macauley, of Southampton-based dating website wanaflirt.com, said the reasons for the city being such a good place to be young and single in were clear.

"Obviously the social life plays a huge part in the city's attraction," he said.

"The network of cracking pubs, bars and coffee houses is growing hand-over-fist.

"It's also down to the mix of the demographic, great transport links and the city's proximity to the sea.

"One thing we have noticed is that a lot of our members are bringing in people from elsewhere who are making the effort to travel to Southampton to meet others because it's such a great place."

According to the survey, by Coca-Cola Zero, more than a third of young men (35 per cent) claimed cost of living was very important, 29 per cent thought proximity to friends and family was crucial, while 26 per cent thought earning potential was vital.

Southampton came seventh, scoring well due to its cheap transport, low cost of living and wide array of bars and clubs - one ahead of London. Among the girls, Southampton came second because of its favourable bar/club ratio and relatively high earning potential.

The best place to live for men was Brighton because of its buzzing nightlife, low cost of living and high ratio of women to men.

The seaside city scored highly to pip its regional rivals across nine criteria including entertainment, relationships and finance, according to a study by Coca-Cola Zero. Liverpool, Bournemouth and Edinburgh helped make up the rest of the top four.

Don't miss our Single in the City feature online and in the Daily Echo every Tuesday.