NO-ONE'S ever said that life in Warrington is like heaven on earth - but is it the most soul-destroying place in the UK?

Braving Bridge Street on a Friday night, cheering on the Wire and endless traffic jams are surely what keeps us Woollybacks happy?

Just try telling that to the readers of satirical magazine The Idler, which is currently compiling a shortlist of Britain's 50 'crappest' towns for a book due out in October.

And Warrington's so-called flaws have not escaped scrutiny.

Contributor Gary Dutton believes the town is populated by knuckle-dragging Neanderthal guys, just spoiling for a Saturday night fight.

And don't get him started on the women, who he condemns as a bunch of 'boob-tubed and mini-skirted tarts'.

Our failed city status bids are derided and the only recognised landmark is the 'monolithic' Lever Brothers factory, he adds.

But the town appears to have escaped fairly lightly, with only a single nomination - while places like Hull and Milton Keynes have reams of bile devoted to their perceived faults.

Near neighbour Leigh's dilapidated main streets come under fire elsewhere, and even grandiose Chester is populated by 'scallies' and has faked most of its historic city centre features to fool shoppers, say critics.

Further south Crewe also gets a mauling, apparently remarkable only as a rail commuter stop-off and intimidating late night atmosphere.

Perhaps not surprisingly the county's stockbroker folk, in Knutsford and Wilmslow, don't get a nomination.

Our Cheshire neighbours Northwich, Winsford, Middlewich and Congleton escape the 'crap' tag too. In an even more baffling development, Runcorn and St Helens are both omitted also.

As for Widnes, it is listed - but the chemical outpost is apparently so bad that the Internet link crashes every time you try to access it!

Nominations can be added to the list by logging on to www.theidler.co.uk

l Do you think Warrington is deserving of inclusion in this infamous list? Or do you heartily disagree with Gary Dutton's barbed comments? Contact the Guardian newsdesk on 434114 or e-mail us at pmagill@guardiangrp.co.uk