Plymouth has been rated as the best place to be a single mum in the UK, according to a ranking based on five metrics.
Ofsted ratings, housing affordability, the gender pay gap, violent crime statistics and the average cost of childcare were taken into account in the study of 35 towns and cities across the UK, by Silver Cross run parenting website Play Like Mum.
Plymouth came out on top, with Liverpool just one point behind and Middlesborough coming in third place.
The overall ranking was based on points given in each of the five categories.
Coming out at the bottom of the list in 35th place was Bristol. Bournemouth and York were only slightly ahead in joint 33rd place and London got the 32nd spot.
Looking at the five metrics independently:
Cambridge came out on top as the city with the most schools rated “outstanding” by Ofsted, and London came out worst.
The gender pay gap was the least in Leicester, but the highest in Bournemouth.
And the average cost of childcare was the cheapest in Plymouth, but the most expensive in Oxford.
Commenting on the ranking, Andrew Coplestone, the founder of PlayLikeMum said: “We wanted to conduct research across the UK to understand how regional differences can affect single mums.”
To see the full ranking of 35 cities in the UK, click here.