BOURNEMOUTH'S seaside charm makes it one of the most popular destinations in the country for people looking to relocate.

That's the finding of a new survey, which ranks the resort as the fifth most popular destination for movers - shortly behind fellow coastal town Plymouth.

The research was carried out by home move service MoveMe.com, who say that Bournemouth appeals to two key markets - students and young professionals looking to live in a bustling town centre and families looking for a more spacious home in the suburbs.

Keith McNeilly, co-founder of Moveme.com, said: "Many coastal properties are reported to be holding their value in the current market, benefiting from a surge of recent media attention as both Gordon Brown and David Cameron opt to spend their summer holidays in UK coastal resorts.

"With beautiful scenery, a range of exquisite homes and a steady market, these areas are likely to increase in popularity and in price in the longer term."

In stark contrast, the five areas proving least popular with movers are all in London, with North West London topping the poll.

That's no surprise to Bournemouth councillor and cabinet member Barry Goldbart, who moved to the town from London 25 years ago.

He said: "I was living in Harrow-on-the-Hill and had built up a successful background music business, installing music systems for most of the large retailers.

"Because of my workload, we found it difficult to take proper holidays but used to come down to the New Forest area so my daughter could go horse-riding "We eventually bought a holiday home on the East Cliff and soon we had made so many friends here that we decided to go for it and make it our home.

"There's no question that we enjoyed a better quality of life as a result. We often go back to London to visit but the length of time that we want to stay has got shorter and shorter. Now we normally just stay overnight with friends before we can't wait to get back.

"In the past 25 years, Bournemouth has changed quite a lot. It's much more cosmopolitan now with a thriving café culture and I don't know why anyone would want to live anywhere else."