Young Londoners want to head for the country.

More than half of youngsters in London want to leave the city behind and head for the countryside, according to a survey by the Country Land and Business Association.

The CLA, which represents almost 30,000 country businesses, surveyed 1,000 Londoners, with 55 per cent of 18 to 34-year-olds keen to quit the capital and head for rural towns and villages, especially in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Cheaper housing, improved broadband and digital connectivity as well as the ease of working from home and better air quality were the key reasons for wanting a move away from the city.

While 44 per cent of those polled across all demographics revealed coronavirus made them keen on rural migration, more than a quarter said they wanted to work entirely from home in the future.

CLA president Mark Bridgeman said: “The survey results paint a very clear picture: many young people want to move to the countryside as it’s a fantastic place to live. It is energising and exciting to see a new generation that understand the value and opportunities of living and working in the countryside.

“There is now a window of opportunity to grow the rural economy, spread prosperity, support local communities and ‘level up’ our society. We must not waste it.”