Is Worcestershire really in the North?Are we all going to be buying tripe to pour our famous sauce on, singing the famous folk song 'Malvern Hills Bar ’Tat'?

A poll of nearly 8,000 English adults by YouGov found nearly a quarter think that the West Midlands region is in the North.

When presented with a map of England, divided into unlabelled regions and asked to say whether each region is in the North, the South, or neither – 24 percent of the sample said the West Midlands region, including Worcestershire, was in the North.

Seven per cent put us in the South and 65 per cent said it was neither.

Perhaps it shows that public perception of Worcestershire, or the whole region is not what it could be.

Deputy leader of Worcester County council, Adrian Hardman said he doesn’t relay believe that Worcester even fits into the West Midlands region.

He said: “The regions are quite a recent invention and pretty artificial. If you’re in Bredon, then the newsagent will sell Western Daily Press, but in Hagley, say it might be the Express and Star you buy.

“I’ve always thought that Worcestershire was in the heart of England and that’s why such important battles were fought here, because it’s such cross roads.

That diversity might be why Worcestershire doesn’t have one outstanding identity, according to Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnerships chief executive Gary Woodman.

He said: “I have been bemused when we take inward investment shows to London that anything above Watford is seen by some there as in the North. One of the strengths of the county is its diversity, but it’s possible that means it doesn’t have just one very strong identity, apart from the sauce.But it means we do have plenty of voices speaking up for Worcestershire, and that’s what we’re doing on a national basis.”