Brighton has been named Britain's best seaside shopping town for the second time in two years.

A survey carried out by the consumer group Experian praised its "significant development" over the past three years.

That period has seen the opening of the £90 million Churchill Square redevelopment, a growth in the number of businesses operating in the traditional North Laine area and the renovation of the seafront.

Tony Mernagh, Brighton town centre manager, said business was booming in the town. He said:"There's nowhere else in the South of England which remotely competes with our consumer range.

"The mood is very buoyant at the moment and profit levels are good."

Experian ranked towns according to a shopping vitality rating. Brighton gained 231 points, a rise of 12 per cent in three years, the highest rate of improvement in the South-East.This puts it 29th in the national top 250 list.

North Laine Traders' Association spokesman Peter Stocker said: I just think Brighton has everything to offer. There's Churchill Square, the North Laine shops, the Lanes and the seafront.

"Someone said to me it's the closest they have found to San Francisco of anywhere in the world. We can't afford to be complacent, though."

Experian looked at 1,100 shopping areas around Britain. Experian spokeswoman Diane Brown said: "The past three years have witnessed significant development in a number of major provincial retail locations."

Overall the West End of London was still the best place to shop, but its supremacy was challenged by Glasgow, Nottingham, Leeds, Birmingham and Manchester.

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