As the cost of living soars and\u00a0inflation\u00a0continues to spiral, a charity has warned that three northern towns have been hit harder than most.
\nResearch by the Centre for Cities says that\u00a0Burnley,\u00a0Blackpool\u00a0and\u00a0Blackburn\u00a0are three of the worst affected towns in England \u2013 and all are within the same Lancashire corridor.
\nLocal people claim that this part of the country has been \u201cforgotten\u201d, with government promises of \u201clevelling up\u201d failing to deliver.
\nThe Independent\u00a0spoke to businesses, residents and local politicians as they shared the struggles they face.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s not something I wanted to do,\u201d cake shop owner Hannah Greenwood says. \u201cI never wanted to be unaffordable. But I have to match my cost.\u201d
\nThe 27-year-old put off raising prices as long as she could, even as the cost of ingredients soared, and she denied herself a paycheck for months.
\nEventually, something had to give. Her cheapest bespoke cake used to be \u00a340 \u2013 now it\u2019s \u00a370.
\n\u201cWe are trying to push through it, but I can\u2019t really see a light at the end of the tunnel.\u201d
\nThe business owner, like others across the country, has been hit by the rocketing cost of living. Inflation is once again at its\u00a0highest rate in four decades\u00a0in England, hitting 11.1 per cent last month.
\nBut the situation varies across the country, according to the Centre for Cities, with Burnley, Blackburn and Blackpool some of the hardest hit towns.
\nThe think tank tracks inflation for every large town and city in the UK, estimated using data on spending patterns and wages.<\/p>\n