Plymouth is the safest city in the UK to be in during a zombie apocalypse, it is claimed. The port city topped a list of the best places to survive and was given the top score by researchers.
Its access to the surrounding countryside and coastal escape routes along the English Channel and Plymouth Sound made were listed as factors in its favour. Edinburgh came second due to its proximity to the East Lothian coastline, seen as a vital escape route.
Researchers analysed factors like population density, crime rate, amount of green space, freshwater access, hospitals per 1,000 people, number of allotments and proximity to open countryside or open water to give each city a score out of 100.
Plymouth scored 100, while Edinburgh rated highly at 86. Newcastle ranked third thanks to a balance of relatively low crime levels and strong hospital provision, as well as its proximity to the North East coastline, which provides additional natural refuge routes.
Manchester, at number five, has exceptionally high hospital capacity per 100,000 people, with a hospital for every 3,100 people on average, researchers said.
Meanwhile “collapse zones” include Leicester, which is the least well-equipped city overall due to the highest population density in the group at 14,521 per sq mi.
Hull also sits at the lower end of the ranking and is impacted by one of the lowest levels of freshwater sources among the UK’s major cities. And Brummies would not fare well at all as Birmingham has a crime rate of 104 per 1,000 people.
This is similar to Nottingham, where the highest crime rates in the country outweigh its relatively strong green space and hospital provision, with crime levels 48% higher than the England, Wales & Northern Ireland overall figure.
Researchers from Buzz Bingo said the Midlands would fare particularly poorly overall in a zombie apocalypse scenario.
Mark Fletcher, from the firm, said: “Post-apocalyptic and survival storytelling has seen a huge rise in popularity in recent years, with shows and films like The Last of Us and The Walking Dead continuing to capture audiences’ attention.
“While the idea of a zombie apocalypse is firmly fictional, it’s interesting to explore which UK cities are best equipped when it comes to factors linked to long-term sustainability, from access to green space and freshwater to lower crime rates and stronger infrastructure.
“Our findings show that balanced cities with strong natural refuge access consistently came out on top, and if all else fails, you can follow Shaun’s advice, head to the pub, have a pint, and wait for all of it to blow over!”