NORTH Wiltshire is the south west's second wealthiest region according to a new survey published this week.

The research, by Barclays Private Clients, also revealed that the south west is the second wealthiest area in Britain.

Researchers looked at the average salary in each area, and then divided this by the cost of living index for that region, based on national statistics.

People in north Wiltshire were found to have a cost of living adjusted (COLA) salary of £35,572.

This was second only to the Cotswolds where the adjusted salary is £35,855.

The south west as a whole came in at £29,076.

Westbury was ranked 14th in the south west with an adjusted salary of £31,273.

Nationally, the north west came top with £29,175 with Tatton in Cheshire at £41,506.

Gordon Rankin, marketing director of Barclays Private Clients, said: "We have carried out various wealth surveys in recent years which have shown the actual value of people's wealth. This tends to skew the wealthiest areas towards London and the south east.

"However, for the first time we have taken into account cost of living and this has made a major transformation with the south west coming out as the second wealthiest region in the country.

"Much of this is probably down to the huge disparity in property costs which take up a much larger proportion of an individual's salary in the south east than in the rest of the country."