A lifetime Redbridge resident has said exploring the borough’s many green spaces would cheer up the majority who said they were “miserable”.

More than 40 per cent of voters in a Recorder poll said they felt sad living in Redbridge after Ilford postcodes were ranked the fourth unhappiest places to live in the UK in a survey.

The area scored terribly on pride in the local area and recreation in Rightmove’s Happiness at Home Index but Ron Jeffries said there is plenty to enjoy in Redbridge.

He added: “People always moan about things where they live.

“They always think the grass is greener but I’ve lived in Ilford all my life and found it a wonderful place to live.”

Mr Jeffries, of Spearpoint Gardens, Newbury Park, said Redbridge residents are fortunate to be on the edge of the green belt.

He added: “You have only got to go a short bus ride or walk and you can be pretty much in the countryside at Fairlop Waters.

“If people feel miserable in the town centre, they ought to get off their backsides and spend a day out at Hainault Forest or Valentines Park.

“There are so many good things in Redbridge that you can do for free, people don’t need to be miserable.”

In the Recorder poll, 20 per cent of voters said they were not at all unhappy in the area and “loved it” and another 20 per cent selected the “a little miserable sometimes” option.

Around 12 per cent of voters described themselves as “fine” and eight per cent were “fairly cheerful”.