Beaconsfield Services is officially one of the best places to stop off at.

Smaller motorway service operators have the best user satisfaction ratings, a new survey suggests.

Extra and Westmorland achieved the joint highest score of 97 per cent in a poll of 9,808 people conducted by watchdog Transport Focus.

Between them they only operate 10 of England's 112 motorway service areas, including Beaconsfield on the M40 at junction 2, Gloucester on the M5 and Tebay on the M6 in Cumbria.

Euro Garages was ranked in third place with 96 per cent of users satisfied, followed by Roadchef (95 per cent), Moto (93 per cent) and Welcome Break (92 per cent).

There was a year-on-year increase in satisfaction across all service areas of three percentage points to 93 per cent.

Cleanliness of toilets was rated as satisfactory by 89 per cent of visitors, while friendliness and helpfulness of staff scored 94 per cent.

Visitors were least satisfied with the value for money of the food and drink they bought, at just 69 per cent.

Transport Focus chief executive Anthony Smith said: "As the country emerges out of lockdown and people take to the roads for staycations this summer, motorway services will provide a vital opportunity for drivers to take a break on their journey.

"Motorway services provide customers with a great experience with friendly and helpful staff, but there is still room for improvement when it comes to the value for money of the food and drink on offer."