Despite surveys in the past dubbing Redbridge an “unhappy place” to live, experts now say the borough is the third happiest in the capital.

The study by data visualisation studio Tekja looks at the behaviour of the borough’s Twitter users to determine happiness in the area between mid-December and mid-January.

Positive and negative keywords used by tweeters were processed and rated on a scale of -5 (negative) to +5 (positive) to work out London’s positive hotspots and its zones of negativity.

Taking the top spot and title of happiest borough was Bexley. In last place was the sad borough of Sutton.

The main topics on Twitter associated with happiness in all boroughs were Christmas and the New Year.

The unhappiest related to the return of Celebrity Big Brother on TV and the death of music icon David Bowie.

The findings are to go on display as part of a data-driven art exhibition at Somerset House in London.

The venue’s director of exhibitions Claire Catterall said: “It is interesting that it is the outer boroughs which all take the top spots at both ends of the happiness scale.

“Before we analysed the data, one might have assumed that people would be posting the happiest tweets from the top attractions of London in the centre of the city.

“But with the likes of Bexley and Redbridge, you have the bright lights of London only a few miles away, but also a distinctly countryside feel too with the green open spaces of Epping Forest or Kent’s Garden of England on your doorstep.”

Despite surveys by estate agents Rightmove placing Ilford as the second and fourth unhappiest place to live in the UK in the past, Ms Caterall believes it is the balance of city and suburban life that makes Redbridge a happy place.

“It seems like in order to be truly happy in London, you need to experience the best of both worlds,” she said.

Do you agree? Email ajay.nair@archant.co.uk with your thoughts.