FOUR locations in the North-East and North Yorkshire have been named in the top 50 Best Urban Places to Live by The Sunday Times.

The accolades for Durham City, Gosforth, in Newcastle, the Newcastle-Gateshead Quayside and York come in part two of The Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide, which is published on Sunday (March 8).

The annual supplements combine data and statistics such as crime rates, house prices and school performance with the local knowledge and expertise of Sunday Times writers to compile the definitive top 50 city locations to make your home.

The Sunday Times Best Urban Places to Live is the second in a four-part series in partnership with Zoopla.

Part one focused on the countryside, while part three is published with The Sunday Times on Sunday March 15 and looks at the “best of both” suburban places.

The Sunday Times will select an overall urban winner and three runners-up, which will be revealed in paper on Sunday.

The locations were selected for combining the best of city life such as quality culture, great cafes, restaurants and shops, buzzing nightlife and entertainment, as well as access to good schools and transport links.

Home editor Helen Davies said: "Much of our population lives in cities, but they are often maligned as loud, polluted and unwelcoming, so the second part of The Best Places to Live 2015 celebrates the thriving and bustling areas that offer the best things about urban living.

“That could be as a hub of culture, a hotbed of entrepreneurial spirit, a reputation for culinary excellence, a shopping heaven, great schools, or all of the above and more."