The economic gap between the south of England and the rest of the country has widened in the last decade, threatening a permanent growth divide, a leading economics think-tank has warned.

In its annual Cities Outlook report issued today, the Centre for Cities has collated statistical evidence from the UK's 64 largest cities suggesting only a few mainly southern based cities drove growth either side of the financial crisis.

For example between 2004 and 2013 for every 12 net new jobs created in the south of England, only one job was crated in cities throughout the rest of the UK.