ALMOST three-quarters - 73 per cent - of restaurants in Blaenau Gwent are selling fast food on a takeaway basis, the highest proportion of any council area in England, Scotland and Wales.

And three other parts of Wales, two of which are in Gwent, are among the top 10 areas in the three countries in terms of the proportion of fast food outlets among their restaurants.

Two-thirds (66 per cent) of restaurants across Caerphilly sell takeaway fast food, the second highest proportion out of more than 200 areas of England, Scotland and Wales. The fourth highest proportion is in Rhondda Cynon Taf (63 per cent), with Torfaen (59 per cent) the equal sixth highest.

The figures, for 2018, reveal that of 75 food outlets in Blaenau Gwent, 55 (73 per cent) are fast food outlets. In Caerphilly 125 food outlets out of 190 deal in fast food, while in Torfaen it is 65 out of 110.

In Newport, according to the BBC Shared Data Unit, and based on figures from the Office for National Statistics, 105 out of 220 (48 per cent) deal in fast food, and in Monmouth it is 55 out of 150 (37 per cent).

In all five council areas in Gwent - and in 12 of the 22 across Wales - the proportion of fast food outlets has increased since 2010.

Westminster in London has by far the highest rate of fast food outlets per 100,000 population in England, Scotland and Wales, at 127.

Conwy has the highest rate per 100,000 population in Wales at 81, followed by Blaenau Gwent (79). The rate in Torfaen is 70, in Newport and Caerphilly it is 69, and in Monmouthshire it is 59.

Across Gwent, the number of takeaway outlets has increased by 59 per cent since 2010, to 405.