East Sussex and Brighton and Hove are among the poorest areas of Britain to live in, a survey claims today.

Based on the amount of wealth generated by each person, the county and city come third from bottom in the wealth generating league.

It puts them on a par with parts of Merseyside, Northern Ireland and central Scotland.

Sefton on Merseyside is the poorest with each person generating £7,313 for the national economy.

East Sussex was third poorest in England and Wales, creating £7,847 per person.

The figures, compiled by the Office for National Statistics, point to a huge gap between different parts of the country.

There is also a huge gap between East and West Sussex. Residents of West Sussex generate £13,622, says the survey.

East Sussex's low rating reflects the problems of the rural community combined with the low incomes of towns like Hastings where a significant number of people live on benefit.

The high proportion of pensioners in Eastbourne and Seaford is reflected in East Sussex's ranking, which includes Brighton and Hove where there is still a relatively low wage economy.

Up and coming Worthing, along with wealth of people living in and around Chichester, has helped raise West Sussex to 12th in the wealth league stakes, just behind Hertfordshire.