THE happiest neighbourhood in England is the stockbroker-belt paradise of Chorleywood West in Hertfordshire. But don’t tell that to the people of Harpurhey in Manchester, a warren of red-brick terraced poverty which has every right to be the gloomiest.

The two communities were named in a government report yesterday as the least and the most deprived in the country.

They are at the extremes of 32,482 neighbourhoods measured for their quality of life by the Social Disadvantage Research Centre at the Department of Social Policy and Social Research at the University of Oxford.

The study was commissioned by civil servants working for John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister. The information will help to target policies and funding, reinforcing what his office calls the Government’s drive to improve the quality of life in disadvantaged communities.

Chorleywood West excelled in many of the 37 indices that highlight characteristics of deprivation, such as unemployment, low income, crime and poor access to education and services. It eclipsed all others, with its high employment, low crime rate and high proportion of adults with university degrees. Researchers also took account of the number of residents suffering depression.

Health in Harpurhey was described locally as “appalling”, with high rates of teenage suicide, heart and lung disease, drug abuse and crime.

There was a mixture of views about the survey in both places. In Chorleywood West Neil Brittain, a director of a consultancy firm, said: “You have the benefits of local pubs, a good village life and you are 30 minutes from London. The only place better than this is the South of France.”

The area boasts a 200-acre common used for golf, cricket, football and picnicking. But Ben Yu, who works at Chorleywood’s only Chinese takeaway feels “extremely bored”. “It is too quiet for me here,” he said.

Eilidh Weir, 18, said: “We spend most of our time leaving Chorleywood.” Merrillee Carrack, also 18, said: “It’s good for young families or the over-60s but you’re a bit restricted once you’re over 12.”

Meanwhile, in Harpurhey one teenager who would only give his name as Craig, 18, said: “Harpurhey is a dump.”

Most acknowledged that Manchester City Council was trying to change their lot. The delapidated Victorian swimming baths was making way for a modern leisure centre and a new covered market.

Harpurhey’s ponds, once full of litter and furniture are being cleaned up to attract back the kingfisher.

Harpurhey is home to the comedian Bernard Manning’s club. One drinker said: “The best thing about Harpurhey is that the people are friendly and a pint of bitter only costs £1.37.” Mr Manning said: “We have always had a sense of humour here.”

The survey showed that although there is a sharp divide between the South East and the North, the northeast quarter of London remains particularly deprived.

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