SOUTHAMPTON has been ranked as the ninth most ambitious city in the UK.

Card machine provider Dojo has created a nationwide index of the most business ambitious cities.

To create the list, the company looked at the percentage business growth comparing new and closed businesses, business growth over last five years, business five-year survival rate, the number of businesses with more than 10 employees and online searches of how to start a business.

After comparing the data, Southampton was revealed as the ninth most ambitious city in the list, with a population of over 255 thousand and an "ambition score" of 161 out of 250.

Whilst Birmingham topped the list with a population of 1,149,000 but an ambition score of 185.75.

Bristol, Leeds, London and Leicester made up the rest of the top five respectively, and Winchester ranked bottom of the top 20.

With a population of 520,000, the Hampshire city managed a score of 114.25.