LONG Eaton has been named as the best place in the area to live, in a Post online poll.
Nearly 200 Post readers voted for the town on the Post's thisisnottingham.co.uk site – beating traditionally up-market spots like West Bridgford and Bingham.
We opened the web vote last week when Bingham was named as one of the best places to live in the Midlands by a Sunday Times guide.
The Notts town was praised by the paper for its "community strengths of a village" and "attractive and lively" town centre.
Early leaders of our poll included Bingham and West Bridgford, but a late surge from Long Eaton took it to first place with 17.8 per cent, or 188 votes by yesterday lunchtime.
Radcliffe-on-Trent came second, with 164 votes (15.5 per cent), while Bingham was third with 153 (14.5 per cent).
Tony Fountain, founder of the Long Eaton Website and newsletter Long Eaton Website Extra, said he was surprised the town had come out on top.
Mr Fountain, 61, who has lived in the town all his life, said: "I think other people will be a little bit surprised too.
"You would expect somewhere like West Bridgford or Bingham to win – but Long Eaton has got good things going for it.
"It's a nice place to live with Trent Lock nearby and West Park is a massive, lovely park."
A total of 1,100 people logged on to vote for one of 20 places in the Post circulation area, with people also able to nominate a location of their own.
Student Stewart Thorpe, 20, who lives in Keats Close in Long Eaton, said: "It's a brilliant place for work and education as it has such good links. You can get to Nottingham or Derby quickly, and Sheffield isn't far away either.
Radcliffe-on-Trent Parish Councillor Graham Leigh-Browne, 78, said his village was a worthy runner-up. "Lots of people will chat to you here, there's good community spirit," he said.
