The A4 was the third noisiest road

London also had three other entries in the top five of the competition organised by the UK Noise Association (UKNA), which received hundreds of entries were from people from right across the country.

Parkfield Road/Lewisham Way in New Cross, south-east London, was voted the second noisiest, with the A4 in west London, the Blackwall Tunnel Northern Approach in east London and the M77 in Glasgow coming in joint third.

In fourth place was Dockwell Close near Heathrow Airport in west London.

John Stewart, chairman of the UKNA, said: "How do you compare life under a flight path with Brands Hatch? Or the roar of a motorway with the night-time noise of pubs and clubs?

"But we chose the North Circular because nowhere in the country do so many people live so close to such a thunderous roar."

Top 10 noisy roads 1. North Circular Road, London 2. Parkfield Road/Lewisham Way, south-east London 3. A4 in west London; Blackwall Tunnel Northern Approach, East London; M77, Glasgow 4. Dockwell Close, Heathrow 5. M25 and the motorways of the UK 6. Stockport Road/Manchester Road in Manchester 7. Hever Avenue, West Kingsdown/Brands Hatch, Kent 8. Headingley Lane/Otley Road in Leeds 9. Bawtry Road, Sheffield 10. Haydn Terrace, Merthyr Tydfil

UKNA is calling on the government to take speedy action to reduce noise levels.

It wants to see quieter road surfaces introduced as a matter of urgency, an update the planning laws to take account of the "24-hour city" and for noise audits to be compulsory for all developments, including new airports.

Stewart added: "Although noise can affect anybody, it was striking that the noisiest roads were often in the poorest areas, the very places where people cannot afford to move away."