M25 is officially the pits

Reviled by motorists for its traffic jams and roadworks, the M25 was yesterday given the title of the worst place in Britain.

The 115-mile London orbital motorway topped a poll of the Seven Horrors of Britain, which singled out the places people most liked to avoid.

The capital's Millennium Dome - which drew flak both for its cost and its content - was rated the second worst.

Blackpool promenade came third in a survey of listeners by BBC Radio 4's Today Programme, followed by Heathrow airport and Birmingham New Street station.

The deep-seated loathing of the M25 comes as no surprise - even the car lovers of the RAC hate it. Spokesman Kevin Delaney said: 'No-one uses the M25 for pleasure and nobody uses it if there is a viable alternative.'

Ken Kelling, of the English Tourism Council, said: 'What stands out is that three of the seven places listed here are transport-related. Transport is a big issue for tourism in Britain, both for people who live here and visitors.'

He added it was surprising that Blackpool made the list, given the large number of tourists visiting the resort.

The poll came days after the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and the London Eye topped a Seven Wonders of Britain list in a survey by Yellow Pages.