Upminster residents are conscientious, Romfordians are agreeable, although opposed to new experiences, while locals to Harold Hill are emotionally stable and happy with their lot.

Upminster residents are conscientious, those living in Romford are agreeable, although opposed to new experiences, while locals to Harold Hill are emotionally stable and happy with their lot.

That is the conclusion of the largest academic study of London’s personality types based on data collected from 56,000 residents as part of a BBC research project.

The findings reinforced the perception of a north-south divide in Havering, with the exception of Romford and Collier Row, whose residents profiled similarly to those in the south of the borough.

Those in the north of Havering were found to be significantly more satisfied with their lives than those in the south, with Hornchurch and Upminster ranking highest.

Those living in the north eastern tip of the borough – Noak Hill, Harold Hill and Harold Wood – were judged to be the most emotionally stable while those in Romford and Collier Row were thought to be the most agreeable.

The north of the borough was generally rated to be more conscientious than the south.

A divide seen again when Havering is profiled on how extravert its residents are. The borough’s residents were also not judged to be open to new experiences with the south, Romford and Collier Row the most opposed.

The Cambridge University researchers behind the study, funded by the Kone Foundation and the Academy of Finland, concluded that a person’s satisfaction depends, at least in part, on whether their personality suits their postcode.