Despite having a relatively small land area the UK is one of the most densely populated countries in Europe. The UK population at mid-year 2022 was estimated to be 67.6 million, an increase of 6.8% since 2011 and is estimated to hit 70 million in just two years time in 2026.

As the decades have gone by, UK cities have expanded significantly both in population size and geographically. This expansion of cities has led to an urban crawl, with suburbs and surroundings becoming dragged into the urban fabric. Leeds and Bradford in Yorkshire appear to be a prime example of this.

Over the years, both cities have experienced a significant population growth and expansion. Bradford has seen its population size increase by 4.6%, from around 522,500 in 2011 to 546,400 in 2021.

This growth rate is higher than the regional average for Yorkshire and the Humber (3.7%).

Meanwhile Leeds has seen an increase of a whopping 8% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, according to the Office for National Statistics. This translates to roughly 60,500 more people, the current population is estimated to be 822,483.

If both cities continue to grow and expand, their boundaries may become non-existent, and they may form a mega-city with 1.3 million people currently.

Google Maps shows virtually no boundary between the two cities and no countryside.

Starbucks Coffee on Leeds Road is in Thornbury, Bradford but located just four minutes away, 0.8 miles, is Lala's Restaurant in Pudsey, Leeds.

The distance is so close that a cinema in Thornbury, Bradford has named itself ODEON Luxe Leeds Bradford. Located between the two cities, the cinema underwent a facelift in 2017 and was renamed to its current name.

The prospect of Leeds and Bradford merging has been discussed online.

One person said on Reddit: "As someone who lives in Leeds, I can tell you the border between us and Bradford is basically non-existent.

"When you drive west, you just go from a Leeds suburb directly into a Bradford one. I don't about us becoming a mega city, but as a region we're very much interlinked."

Whilst others have even proposed different names such as "Ladford" and "Breeds" if the cities were to link up.