A DOCTOR has dismissed claims that residents of a North-East town are the most depressed in the UK.

Just two months after Channel Four labelled Middlesbrough as the worst place to live in Britain, a national Sunday newspaper claimed today that people in the Teesside town take more anti-depressants than anywhere else in Britain.

Dr John Canning, secretary to the Local Medical Committee for Middlesbrough, said: "Whether it is true or not, I don't know. There are problems with living in Middlesbrough; a lot of chronic sickness and long standing unemployment, which don't make it necessarily the best place to live.

"As doctors we are criticised on one hand for over diagnosing and on the other, under diagnosing. But some of those drugs are used to treat a variety of painful conditions as well as other problems'' He dismissed the conclusions of the News of the World study which put Middlesbrough at the top of the UK "saddest areas'' league table.

Runner-up is Gateshead, with east Cleveland a close third, followed by Newcastle in pill popping fourth place. London spends the least on anti depressants in the country.

Dr Canning said: "This is not a particularly good marker of mental illness because these pills are used for many things.'' Channel Four is standing behind the findings of its October broadcast of Location, Location, Location, which were based on five criteria - crime, environment, lifestyle, education and employment.

Ray Mallon, the Mayor of Middlesbrough has called for a North-East wide boycott of Channel Four - until it apologises.