Redditch, is a town and local government district in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately south of Birmingham. The district had a population of 84,300 in 2011. In the 19th century it became the international centre for the needle and fishing tackle industry. At one point 90% of the world's needles were manufactured in the town and its neighbourhoods. In the 1960s it became a model for modern new town planning. It is known locally by the nickname The Ditch.