PEOPLE'S quality of life in Bradford is the third best out of the UK's major cities, according to new research out today.

This time last year the city was bottom of the pile in the Quality of Living Index which compares the 12 largest cities across the UK.

The improvement is down to people having more disposable income in Bradford - up 3.6 per cent - and the lowest average rent at £490 per month

And despite Bradford having one of the highest unemployment rates out the 12 cities - its overall quality of life ranking is only behind Cardiff and Belfast's.

Council leader David Green welcomed the improvement, but said he could not get too excited after his reaction to last year's ranking.

"I'm pleased that clearly we've climbed up the table, but at the time we were bottom, I questioned its validity so it would be hypocritical to jump up and down and shout 'whoop' about the fact we're third.

"I still think some of these surveys are fairly subjective, but clearly anything that shows Bradford in an improving light had got to be welcomed because it helps with any negative perception of Bradford."

MoneySuperMarket looked at the cost of houses and rent, wages, disposable income, the cost of living, unemployment and life satisfaction and analysed the results to score each city and compile the table, which this year Birmingham comes bottom of.

The leader of the Liberal Democrats on Bradford Council, Councillor Jeanette Sunderland added: "I'm pleased that we're showing signs of improvement, but I'm not sure about the methodology of these sort of surveys.

"I would be more delighted if I could see an improvement in the education standards - that would be the one for me that would make a real difference. If we were top of the league tables for improvements in education, then we would have a handle on the future."

Councillor Glen Miller, leader of the Conservative Group, said: "While many citizens may at times question it, the majority of us in public life choose to be so because we want to improve the quality of life of those that we represent.

"Thus the findings of this report were not pleasant reading last year. My colleagues and I are delighted that local people appear to be so much happier this year.

"I suspect that the district is one of earliest to feel the full benefits of the Chancellor's economic reforms which are bringing disadvantaged areas out of the recession fastest.

"It is nice to know that at some levels at least more local people are feeling satisfied with their lives."

The poll found people living in Cardiff enjoyed the best quality of life, followed by Belfast.