IT’S official — Maryport is the best part of Allerdale to call home.

More than 500 readers responded to a Times and Star Poll asking which area of Allerdale is the best place to live — and almost a third backed Maryport.

The town picked up 30 per cent of the vote, much to the delight of the town’s Mayor, Peter Kendall.

The Maryport native said: “Put it this way — my dad went down to Nottingham because there was no work, and we followed him down in 1954.

“From the day I went down there, I wanted to come back. My extended family live across the length and breadth of Britain, but they still regard themselves as being of Maryport stock and they’re proud of it.

“I absolutely love the place. I just want to see the town prosper, I’m passionate about it.”

Workington came in second place, taking 23 per cent of the vote, coming in ahead of Keswick on 20 per cent.

Workington Mayor Janet King was delighted with the news. She said: “I think through Covid, it’s been proven ow much people here care for each other.

“We have had the wonderful NHS staff and key worker, but we’ve also had a tremendous number of volunteers who have gone out to help.

“It’s not just the niceness of the area, it’s the people that make it. I think that’s the most important thing.”

Silloth was voted the fourth best place to live with 14 per cent of the vote, narrowly beating out Wigton and Aspartria, which came bottom with 13 per cent.

Wigton town councillor Sandra Hodson wasn’t surprised with the result and called for investment into the town.

She said: “It could be down to lots of reasons. We’ve only got the one large factory really. We have our problems like any other town.

“Unfortunately it doesn’t surprise me — but we have got three or four cracking schools. The Nelson Thomlinson school is one of the best in the county.

“It needs a little bit of everything. We need policing back, it needs investment, absolutely, and some proactive organisations to come in and some sympathetic developers.”