Few teenagers from Braintree and Witham go on to university compared to other areas in the country.

Data from the Higher Education Funding Council for England shows that several parts of the district have among the lowest proportion of youngsters going to university.

Witham North has one of the lowest at 13.2 per cent, followed by Braintree East at 15.7 per cent.

These are among the lowest in Essex as well.

The St Andrew’s area of Colchester had a participation rate of 10.2 per cent and Halstead Trinity had a rate of 12.1 per cent.

Most of Essex is in the top two groups for participation.

The data, which focuses on the 2005/06 and 2010/11 academic years, shows patterns of low university take-up in traditionally rural areas of East Anglia, as well as low-income areas.

Marc Rothera, outreach and recruitment manager at Anglia Ruskin, said: “It is vital that young people realise that university is for everyone - it shouldn’t be a postcode lottery."