People from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to make social progress in Craven than anywhere else in the North of England.

Craven is ranked 32 out of 324 areas in the State of the Nation 2017 report by the Social Mobility Commission - placing the district in the top 10 per cent.

It is the only district in Yorkshire and Humber in the top 20 per cent of the index.

Councillor Richard Foster, leader of Craven District Council, said: "I'm delighted to see that Craven is ranked so highly in this study. This shows that children in Craven are getting a great start in life, whatever their background.

"It is of course a testament to our fantastic schools and teachers, but also reflects our employment opportunities, quality of life and the strength of our communities, which we work so hard to support.

"Craven is an amazing environment in which to raise families, which has been highlighted in another study recently, and of course we are the happiest place in England, according to the Office of National Statistics."

The Social Mobility Index uses 16 indicators, assessing the education, employability and housing prospects of people living in each of England's 324 local authority areas.

The index highlights where people from disadvantaged backgrounds are most and least likely to make social progress.

The report says: "Craven was named  the happiest place in which to live by the Office for National Statistics based on a number of measures, including inflation, employment and retail.

"Over 90 per cent of disadvantaged children attend strong nurseries, primary and secondary schools. Almost two-fifths of people have managerial and professional occupations and 71 per cent of families with children own a home.

"Unfortunately, Craven is an exception within the region."

The Yorkshire and The Humber region generally performs poorly in terms of social mobility, with below-average outcomes from early years through to working lives. Doncaster and Scarborough are among the bottom 10 per cent of areas in England and even York and Leeds perform surprisingly badly across the education life stages.  However one positive factor across Yorkshire and Humber is housing affordability, with 63 per cent of families owning a home in the region.