THE gap between the rich and poor in Dorset has been underlined in a report showing that the county contains one of the most deprived - and one of the least deprived - areas of the country.

Latest figures reveal that part of the Boscombe West ward in Bournemouth is the 303rd most deprived area of England and the sixth in the south-west region.

Nine out of the 10 most deprived areas in the south west are in Bournemouth and four of them fall within the Boscombe West ward.

They are Boscombe central, St Clement's, Drummond Road and Boscombe South.

Also among the most deprived are Turbary Common, Townsend, East Cliff north, West Howe and Heathlands. In contrast, the Cannon Hill area of Colehill in Wimborne is one of the least deprived in England, with only 165 faring better in the whole country.

Within the region, part of Broadstone ward in Poole, was the second least deprived, followed by Parley, Greenhill and Furzehill in East Dorset, Verwood Emmanuel, and Penn Hill in Poole.

Out of the 10 best-off areas in Dorset, five are in East Dorset, four in Poole and one in West Dorset.

The figures are the first update in three years of the English indices of deprivation, which looks as factors such as income, benefits, employment, health and disability, education, housing and crime.

In Bournemouth 10.6 per cent of unemployment claimants had been out of work for a year or more, compared to 5.4 per cent in Poole and only 2.7 per cent in North Dorset.

Other statistics showed that average gross weekly earnings are lower in Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset than the national average.

Residents of Poole are the best off in the area with a median average of £463 a week.

The south west region is the least affordable for housing, with 46.6 per cent of households in Christchurch and 45.7 per cent of young households unable to buy the cheapest two to three-bedroomed home.