Forbes has crowned a town down south as one of the "slobbiest" in Britain, with claims that the only form of exercise there is drinking.
Although it has been dubbed the "Garden of England", Chatham in Kent appears to have a bad reputation, with Forbes Advisor giving it the not-so-prestigious accolade of the " slobbiest place in the UK ".
The review platform even went as far as to say it was the "worst location" in the country for exercise lovers, adding that it has also been labelled the "dog s*** splattered patio of the Garden of England" by iLiveHere, according to the Mirror.
The Daily Star reported one local's opinion of the town after it suffered scathing criticism elsewhere. He said: "I’ve lived in Chatham all my life, because I’m a moron.
"Fortunately I’ve escaped to Chatham’s outer boundary, but the town centre’s foetid stench still wafts over my hovel when the wind direction is unkind.
"Chatham’s High Street has become its putrid nadir. Most chain shops have gone. Waterstones remains for irony's sake. The High Street inhabitants linger and pulsate, staggering along grease-stained streets in search of some sort of score."
'You can't list the problems here, they're everywhere'
Reporter John James visited the Medway town and said like many UK towns, Chatham's High Street has suffered in recent years and is home to many boarded-up shops. There were however a few gyms speckled about, which suggests not everyone here is afraid of a treadmill.
Even though the High Street has fallen on hard times, it is still a hub of activity with mothers rushing about, old people sitting in cafes and people drinking and smoking on the streets.
He spoke to an elderly couple enjoying a cup of coffee in a cafe. Malcolm and his wife Leigh live told John they weren't proud of it.
Malcolm said: "I don’t like it. Its reputation? Well s*** to put it mildly. We don’t like to come down here often, in fact, my wife Leigh hates coming down here.
"You can’t list the problems here, they’re everywhere. The ugly buildings, the people, the drinking, the drugs." The residents were asked if they had seen anyone exercising.
Malcolm replied: "The only exercise they do round here is raising a can to their lips." John met a Nigerian man called Femi, who had moved there and planned to spend the day taking photographs of the "beautiful town".
He explained: "I only moved here last month and no, I don’t exercise. I have heard it’s a very rough place. A lot of people are drinking, I have seen some shady places and dodgy dealings, I keep safe and avoid it."
John's exploration took him to High Street pub chain Wetherspoons and he discovered the popular choice of breakfast was a "Full English with a pint of San Miguel".
A customer heckled him at around 10.43am for drinking a Pepsi Max and shouted "Ginger? You, why are you drinking that instead of a proper drink?"
He eavesdropped on conversation and learnt that one of them knew someone who had been on the Jeremy Kyle Show to settle a dispute over a lawnmower.
On the next table two tradesmen, who preferred to stay anonymous, provided him with more pleasant company.
He asked if it was true nobody in Chatham exercises. One said: "Nah that's b***cks, there are loads of gym's here." The other said: "It is a s***hole though."
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