Christchurch is the town rated perfection-on-sea

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If you're thinking of moving to the seaside and are wondering which would be the ideal place, look no further.

Christchurch in Dorset is streets ahead of other towns in terms of quality of life, a survey has found.

It looked at such factors as unemployment, environment, education provision, health performance and the housing market to determine the best places to call home beside the sea.

Heading the top 20 was Christchurch, which has the sandy beaches of the south coast on its doorstep and the New Forest at the back door.

The town is popular with the boating fraternity, those with second homes and the retired.

Most of the towns in the survey by Halifax Estate Agents were in the South-East or South-West, with only Bridlington and Scarborough representing the North.

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Christchurch has sandy beaches (above) and the New Forest (below) on its doorstep

The top 20 in the survey was:

• Christchurch, Dorset

• Leigh-on-Sea, Essex

• Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex

• Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex

• Exmouth, Devon

• Southend, Essex

• Poole, Dorset

• Herne Bay, Kent

• Whitstable, Kent