BOURNEMOUTH and Poole are the most congested town in the UK - and it's a problem which has apparently cost the local economy £121 million.

The figures, released by Inrix, put the conurbation and some surrounding, smaller towns sixth nationally for traffic delays, behind London, Manchester, Birmingham, Luton and Edinburgh, but ahead of Newcastle, Coventry and Liverpool.

Bournemouth - home to some 183,491 people according to the 2011 census - is tied in the top 10 with Bristol, a city with a population of 428,100.

However, council officials dispute the figures, and say they are unsure how the cost to the economy has been calculated.

Ian Kalra, head of transportation services, said: “This index doesn’t specifically show how Bournemouth as a location has been defined and quite often reports like these provide a very polarised view of traffic movement.

“More objective and comprehensive data collected and produced by the Department for Transport, which measures vehicle speed and journey times, shows that Bournemouth is approximately 50 per cent less congested than Bristol.

“Through additional government funding we are working with the Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership to invest in a number of major schemes which will improve connectivity, ease congestion and secure jobs and investment for future generations.

"From the proposed new link road and junction at Wessex Fields which will unlock a major employment site, to the investment at Lansdowne, we are seeing significant changes underway which will transform parts of the town’s transport network.

“In addition to the major infrastructure changes taking place it’s essential that as a town we continue to make it easier, safer and more attractive for people to travel sustainably, and this can be seen by the local changes that take place across the network, as well as the engagement with businesses and commuters to encourage sustainable travel methods.”

Bournemouth commuters routinely face long delays on stretches including Wallisdown Road, Barrack Road, both Castle Lane East and Castle Lane West, Bournemouth Road and Herbert Avenue.

Morebus managing director Andrew Wickham says he believes buses provide a "perfect and affordable solution" to reduce congestion and harmful emissions.

“Congestion in around Bournemouth and Poole not only holds back productivity, it also contributes to air pollution," he said.

“It is important that all those who have a vested interest in reducing congestion - including bus operators, local authorities and businesses - work together in partnership to find a solution that works for us, and for those who choose to travel here."

Martin Baker, senior road safety engineer for Poole council, said: "Our focus is on alleviating the effects of traffic congestion in Poole by providing alternatives to using the car.

"We are currently investing in major maintenance schemes which include on-street cycle lanes on major commuter routes, offering people a sustainable alternative to travelling by car."