A STUDY has revealed North-East communities are the most welcoming in the UK.

The research, commissioned by Making Local Woods Work, quizzed 2000 people across the nation about the communities they live in.

Published to coincide with World Kindness Day today (Monday November 13), the report shows the region’s residents feel settled in the shortest amount of time (7.65 months compared to the average of 8.38), more are made to feel welcome by neighbours (84 per cent compared with 78 per cent average and there are higher levels of community spirit (6.01 out of 10 compared to UK average of 5.69.

Woodlands project manager for Making Local Woods Work, Norman Dandy, said: “It’s the simplest things that can make the difference between someone settling into a new community quickly or not.”