HAVING repeatedly been branded the UK's least affordable city, this latest research might raise a few eyebrows among Oxford residents.

In a turn of the tables, it has been crowned the best place to snap up a property as a first-time buyer.

A new index published by MoneySuperMarket has placed Oxford in the top spot, hailed as the best city to buy for people taking their first step on the property ladder.

In a statement released today, the price comparison site said Oxford earned the position due to 'high average salaries, good job opportunities and its position within the commuting belt to London'. 

The index analysed 35 UK cities against key criteria for first-time buyers, including the cost of a one-bed property, crime statistics, job opportunities and average salary.

Oxford gained first place, followed by Bath and Wolverhampton. 

London was bottom of the list due to house prices and high rate of contents theft claims, preceded by Newry in Northern Ireland and Hull.

Kevin Pratt, consumer affairs expert at MoneySuperMarket, said: "The first-time buyer sector is showing signs of life as property prices fall in some areas, thanks to the heat going out of the buy-to-let market.

"If buyers can be flexible, they stand a better chance of finding somewhere they can afford to purchase."

In February the Lloyds Bank Affordable Cities Review once again named Oxford the least affordable UK city, revealing the average property price was 11.5 times the average wage. 

Oxford took the same title in 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013, and was runner-up in 2012, when Lloyds first began the affordable cities research.