HEREFORD'S high street has been ranked fifth in a table of the UK's healthiest retail areas.

The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) carried out research into 70 of the UK's major towns and cities looking at the proportion of businesses found in their main retail area that either support or harm the public’s health.

Shrewsbury was ranked top of the healthiest high street table, with Hereford's coming in fifth.

Preston's high street was ranked as the UK's unhealthiest.

The league table is part of RSPH’s Health on the High Street campaign, which aims to make high streets healthier.

The society questioned a random sample of 2,050 UK adults and consulted with an advisory group of public health and local Government experts.

Based on these results, the society identified bookmakers, payday loan shops, fast food outlets and tanning salons as having the most negative impact on health, and pharmacies, leisure centres, and health services as having the most positive impact.

The report has made a number of recommendations to the Government including a limit of five per cent of each type of business on a high street to avoid oversaturation and provide affordable choice.

Shirley Cramer CBE, chief executive of RSPH, said: “While our ranking of towns and cities is by no means a reflection on whether these areas are generally healthy or unhealthy, our research does find higher concentrations of unhealthy businesses exist in places which already experience high levels of deprivation and premature mortality.

"We recognise that businesses investing in high streets are important for local economies; but this shouldn’t be at any price. The Five Year Forward View calls for us to move 'further and faster' to improve the public’s health.

"This could be achieved by granting Local Authorities enhanced powers to create a rich mix of health promoting businesses on our high streets and encouraging businesses to promote healthy choices.”