Believe it or not, Sutton has the best-looking women in the country...

According to new online research, the borough's honeys top the hot list.

The study by mobile dating site FlirtFinder.mobi looked at the opinions of its 230,000 members.

In the poll ladies in Sutton were rated as hot stuff 48 per cent of the time.

However the borough's men fell out of the ugly tree according to the research, with the poll not even putting them in the top ten in the country.

Harrogate, in North Yorkshire, apparently has the best looking men, with a 23 per cent success rate.

The research claims to have found a North - South divide.

Apparently women in the South were rated hot more often (39 per cent) than those in the North (25 per cent). Sutton Guardian carried out its own research on the the streets of the country's hottest borough.

A search of the internet came up with a disappointing lack of famous beautiful females from the borough, but singer Katie Melua, a Cheam schoolgirl, certainly fits the bill.

What did the people of Sutton think?

There was a mix of shock and nonchalance among residents at the news.

Danielle Jones, 30, who works as a carer, said: "Have they been to specsavers?", meanwhile her friend Jane Monplaisir, 19, said: "Yeah, obviously".

Aaron Davis, 20, a McDonalds worker from Roehampton, said: "I wouldn't say they were the best looking, but they are alright."

Emma Prothero, 19, a student, said: "That's a nice compliment", but agreed with the findings that the men in Sutton are "not the best looking".

Janet Williams, 19, a retail assistant from Stockwell, said: "They are pretty but there is not an ethnically diverse range of girls in Sutton."

Saf Iqbal, 50, said times have changed in the borough.

The market stall owner said: "This is news to me. Years ago nice women used to come out but not anymore."