Swindon has been ranked as one of the most frustrating places to drive around in the UK.

After looking at towns and cities around the country, car insurance business Marshmallow came up with a list of which ones offered the best and worst motoring experiences.

Swindon placed third, with an average commute time of 39 minutes, fuel costs of around £1.51 per litre, car prices averaging £24,000, and 70 electric vehicle chargers per 100,000 people, giving it an overall score of 2.25 out of 10.

This meant that Swindon is considered to be a worse place to drive around than Oxford, St Albans, Peterborough, Reading, Leeds, Middlesborough and Huddersfield.

But it’s not as bad as two other populated parts of England, which scored 1.93 and 2.19, respectively.

Bradford topped the table with an average commute time of 44 minutes, the same average fuel cost as Swindon, the price of a new car averaging £25,800, and only 39 EV chargers per 100,000 people.

Wolverhampton’s 41-minute commutes, average fuel cost of £1.53 per litre, £23,000 cars, and 30 EV chargers per 100k population placed it second.

The study also claims to tally up the number of car parks in each area but, oddly, only counts those owned by NCP which, in Swindon, looks after just one six-space site.

A spokesperson for Marshmallow Car Insurance said: “In the UK, cars play an essential role in everyday life, from commuting to work to school pickups.

“However, navigating UK roads can present its own set of challenges. There’s nothing worse than being caught up in traffic or struggling to find a parking spot.”

On the other end of the scale, Manchester was deemed to be the best UK city to drive in, scoring 6.41 overall, with 27 NCP car parks totalling 7,688 spaces as well as 63 EV chargers per 100,000 people, though the average car costs a hefty £33,048 and the average commute is the same as Swindon’s – 39 minutes.

Sheffield placed second, with a traffic index score of 25, indicating its daily commute time, and fuel costs of £1.43 per litre, and cars averaing £25,810, though it has fewer EV chargers (42 per 100,000 residents) than Manchester.

Coventry, in third place, leads with 499 EV chargers per 100,000 people, reflecting the city council's commitment to reducing carbon emissions, making it an attractive option for electric vehicle owners.