SOME areas of Notts will have the resilience to withstand tough economic conditions even if their business strength is lacking, according to information services company Experian.

It comes after Mansfield and Ashfield were named among the parts of Britain least resilient to economic shocks. A report which ranked England's 324 council areas according to the ability of each to withstand sudden changes in the economy said Middlesbrough is judged to be the least resilient, followed by Mansfield.

The research was commissioned by the BBC in advance of public sector cuts due to be announced later this year.

Researchers at Experian took into account factors such as house prices, crime levels and educational achievement.

But Bruno Rost, of Experian, said that while business strength was an important factor, other issues were also significant: "In areas such as Broxtowe in Notts and North Kesteven in Lincolnshire, the resilience of people, place and community is far higher than their business resilience."

In the report, Ashfield is listed as the eighth least resilient area. Districts seen as most resilient are in the south.

Geoff George, economic regeneration manager at Notts County Council, said: "Mansfield and Ashfield have a good record of creating small businesses, but their economies are still in transition from the old into the new.

"We're emerging from an economy that was dependent on industries like coal and textiles that went into decline.

"The area is doing pretty well from a low starting base."