Epsom has been named ‘most courteous town in the UK’, beating idyllic and well-mannered towns up and down the country.

Undercover politeness inspector Vanessa Bond trawled the historic market town this summer, assessing various indicators of civility including the friendliness of the public, the level of litter and children’s behaviour.

The National Campaign for Courtesy selected Epsom as the third winner of the prize, following Shrewsbury last year and Ilfracombe on the north Devon coast the year before.

Campaign for Courtesy chairman Peter Foot, who lives in nearby Tolworth, said: "Our inspector found Epsom to be a very courteous, clean town full of very welcoming people.

"People would say hello in the street, thank bus drivers when they got off the bus, and give her a terrific welcome in restaurants and cafés.

"It’s important to promote courtesy and hopefully Epsom can lead the way. It’s nice when a town treats visitors well and when it’s generally well-kept and clean.

"No-one wants to live in a dustbin, after all."

Is Epsom the politest town in the country? Comment below or get in touch with ben.weich@london.newsquest.co.uk