TWO East Lancashire towns feature on a list of the most desirable places to live in the North West.

Clitheroe and Ramsbottom appear in the Sunday Times Best Places to Live top 10, which takes into account transport links, quality of schools and natural beauty. The towns were also graded on their low crime rates, property prices, cultural life and unemployment figures.

They will now feature in the Home section of the Sunday Times’s March 17 and March 24 editions. Michael Ranson, leader of Ribble Valley Council said the listing was fantastic news.

He said: “I am delighted to hear that we have been highlighted as one of the best places to live. What attracts people to Clitheroe is the individualistic shops we have got. I also think the rail link is very important. We have the most fantastic countryside on our doorstep.

Coun Ian Bevan, who rep-resents Ramsbottom at Bury Council, said he believed the town’s success was down to the warmth and friendliness of the people who live there.

He said: “The town has gone from strength to strength over the last couple of years.

“We have had a lot of tourism and inward investment, which is great for the traders.

“It seems Ramsbottom is a boom town and I am very happy it has been recognised as an excellent place to live.”