THE PALACE Pier is one of the most snapped places in the UK by users of social media sensation Instagram.

The Brighton attraction pipped Stonehenge, Old Trafford and Wimbledon to the post for the most popular place for Instagrammers to take pictures outside London.

Six million visitors flock to the pier for the rides and the arcades each year.

Instagram did not reveal the exact number of pictures taken.

But the site, which has 400 million users worldwide, said people took twice as many photos at the pier compared to the University of Oxford, which was seventh on the list.

Marc Thorley, spokesman for the Palace Pier, said: "We get some really clear skies, which help create the perfect backdrop for amateur and professional photographers.

"It's an iconic place in British history, even if it hasn't been around as long as Stonehenge."

The pier dwarfed the 90,000 capacity Reading Festival which saw Mumford and Sons, Metallica and The Libertines headlining this year.

It also beat the 484,391 tennis fans who poured into SW19 during the championship fortnight which culminated in Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic being crowned champions.

The pier also beat Old Trafford – home of Manchester United Football Club – which can hold

75,635 during more than 20 fixtures during a Red Devils season.

The data, released for the first time, concentrates on the most popular locations outside of London that people share with their followers.

The capital has previously claimed all 10 of the most photographed locations in the UK, including Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, Harrods and the Houses of Parliament.

This time, Brighton and Hove was top of the pile with Stonehenge second and Reading Festival third.

Old Trafford, also known as the Theatre of Dreams, was fourth, Banksy’s pop-up Dismaland fifth and Twickenham Stadium finished sixth despite hosting the most games in the Rugby World Cup which saw 2,474,584 fans come through the turnstiles.

University of Oxford was seventh while its rival Cambridge sneaked into the top ten in tenth position with Wimbledon in eighth and the thrill-seekers of Thorpe Park in ninth.