Parts of Frome have been named as among the most deprived areas in the region, according to recent census results.

In particular Frome North West has been identified as an area with significant problems.

The figures come as part of a detailed set of results from the snapshot of England and Wales captured in March last year.

As part of the 2021 census, households in England and Wales were classified in terms of four different "dimensions of deprivation, " based on certain characteristics.

• Employment - A household is classified as deprived in the employment dimension if any member, not a full-time student, is either unemployed, permanently sick or disabled
• Education - A household is classified as deprived in the education dimension if no one has at least level 2 education and no one aged 16 to 18 years is a full-time student
• Health and disability - A household is classified as deprived in the health dimension if any member is disabled
• Housing - A household is classified as deprived in the housing dimension if the household's accommodation is either overcrowded, in a shared dwelling, or has no central heating

Office for National Statistics data shows 48.6% of households in the Mendip District Council area  were deprived in at least one of these "dimensions" when the most recent census was carried out.

It meant the area stood below the average across England and Wales​, of 51.7%. ​It also represented a drop from 53.6% at the last census in 2011. In total, 34 percent of households in Mendip are deprived in one area, and 14.5 per cent are deprived in more than one.

A further breakdown reveals which of the area's 14 neighbourhoods were most affected by deprivation last year.

In Mendip, the three areas with the highest deprivation rates were:

• Street Village – 54.3% of households here were deprived in at least one dimension at the time of the 2021 census, down from 61.5% in 2011
• Glastonbury Town – 53.1%, ​falling from 61.5% in 2011
• Frome North West – 52.9%, a drop from 57.7% in 2011

By contrast, the neighbourhood with the lowest level of deprivation was Pilton, Butleigh and Alhampton, at 41.6% of households.

According to the ONS data, Bridgwater North is the most deprived area in Somerset, with 64.6 per cent of households in the area experiencing deprivation on at least one of the four metrics.

The ONS said deprivation is a "complex topic", adding that more detailed information would come in future releases.