Brighton is the best city in the UK to start a business, according to report by the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT).

Brighton won the accolade for its high number of small businesses starting up and the high density of SMEs in the city.

The rankings are based on a number of factors including digital connectivity, property prices and pollution levels.

Cambridge comes second in the rankings. It scored points for its vibrant tech hub, low number of SME closures and relatively high number of high-growth businesses.

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London is surprisingly low in the list in ninth place. Soaring property prices, mediocre broadband speeds and a high number of SME closures mean it lags behind other hubs in the South-East. Despite this, it still has the highest rate of SME start-ups.

Crawley and Leicester are the only two cities in the top 10 not to be found in the South of England. Aberdeen, in 14th place, is the only town outside of England to make the list.

AAT chief executive Mark Farrar said that, despite London’s reputation as a global business hub, other cities’ current appeal means “the tables could now be turning”.

“The opportunities available in the UK’s provincial cities make them an extremely attractive place to invest in and it’s encouraging to see the high number of new businesses opening and thriving across the country,” he continued.