Greasy spoon map: The Yorkshire towns with most takeaways

Given its long-held status as a Mecca for tourists, you might expect Scarborough to figure large in Yorkshire's takeaway league table.

But new figures reveal that Wakefield, Calderdale, Kirklees and Leeds are not far behind.

The centres have some of the highest ratio of takeaways to people in the region, according to the government body,

Public  Health England. The organisation says there are around 6,000 fast food outlets across Yorkshire, with a high number serving food that is high in saturated fat and salt.

These include burger bars, kebab and chip shops, say researchers. S

carborough has 158 takeaways per 100,000 population, with Leeds and Wakefield not far behind.

At the foot of the table, Selby has only 56 outlets.

The England average is 88 per 100,000. Scarborough held its first “takeaway masterclass” recently, in which business were shown how to produce healthier menu options.

After the event, 40 outlets promised to improve their menus.

Public Health England official Corinne Harvey said: “Having fish and chips or a chicken curry is part of our culture. However over a fifth of adults and children eat takeaway meals at home more than once a week, and that is contributing to the nation’s obesity epidemic.

“Some councils are already looking at how they could limit new takeaways, particularly around schools, as a healthy environment is a core part of tackling childhood obesity.”

David chance, North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for public health, added: “The takeaway business has developed a perceived reputation for serving calorie-laden and relatively unhealthy food, but we are pleased that so many businesses have embraced the opportunities of the Healthier Choices scheme and have pledged to improve their healthy options for their customers.”