A WORCESTERSHIRE location is among the top 10 worst places in the country for sight loss, according to new data.

A study of Royal National Institute of Blind People data by bookaneyetest.co.uk has placed Malvern Hills 10th for the number of people with sight problems.

Other Worcestershire locations including Worcester are way down the rankings, with the city coming in at number 271.

According to the study, rural and coastal locations tend to have more sight problems than urban areas, with large cities including Manchester and London coming in among the areas with the lowest proportion of sight problems. However, the relative sizes of the populations is also a consideration.

The study said: "Most of the places with high levels of sight issues are more rural and coastal areas that have older populations, while those at the other end of the scale, with fewer people suffering from sight loss, are mainly found in big cities and areas with younger populations. In fact, nine of the ten areas with the fewest sight problems are in London (with Manchester being the other)." According to the data, Malvern Hills has 3,730 people living with some form of sight problem, working out at 4.79 per cent of its population. Wychavon comes in at number 46, with 5,410 people, 4.25 per cent of its population while Worcester is all the way down at number 271, with 3,210 people (3.09 per cent) living with sight problems.

Data on the number of people with sight loss refers to local authorities and shows the estimated number of people living with either mild, moderate, or severe sight loss in 2020. This comes from the RNIB's data tool, allowing users to search for their local area's statistics. For more information and to compare regions, go to www.bookaneyetest.co.uk/post/britains-vision