THE noisiest areas of the West Midlands are to be named and shamed in a bid to improve living standards.

The Government's environment department, Defra, has commissioned the research to map out noise levels along roads, railways networks and industrial sites across the region. The idea is to identify where people are affected, how many are affected and what the source of the noise is.

Findings will then be evaluated against economic, social and environmental factors before agreeing how best to tackle the difficult issue of noise pollution.

Local Environmental Quality Minister, Ben Bradshaw said: "Unwanted noise has probably affected us all at one time or another - it can cause stress, interrupt conversation and disturb sleep.

"By creating more of these maps we can help Government, local authorities, planners and the public better understand noise levels and work more efficiently to reduce the number of people who are exposed to high levels of noise".