SHARP contrasts and challenges face people living in the rural areas, according to a new report by the Countryside Agency.

Key concerns are lack of affordable housing, low incomes, jobs, transport and access to services and facilities.

A vivid picture of what it is like to live and work in rural areas is contained in the report.

But it also says there are significant opportunities.

Schools, for instance, tend to outperform urban counterparts and quality of life is generally good.

The report will be used to underpin work on finding solutions to the problems. The study also brings into focus contrasts between the North-East and Yorkshire and Humberside.

In the latter, for example, people earn more than those in the North-East on average. Both areas have problems with homelessness, about half of all parishes have no post office or shop, pubs continue to close and communities suffer from shortages of health care and good transport.

The agency's regional director, Mr Keith Buchanan, said: "We see a very diverse area, with many distinctive, attractive and vibrant features. But it is also a region of contrasts.

"For many, the countryside offers a quality of life many townsfolk would envy.

"But there is no hiding the fact there are many inequalities, and serious work needs to be done to bring opportunity and prosperity to all.

"We now have a benchmark against which to measure the success of various scheme such a encouraging rural housing, rejuvenating market towns and introducing rural transport partnerships."