Blackpool is the unhealthiest place in England, according to worrying data which reveals a gaping north-south divide. Hull, Stoke-on-Trent, Middlesbrough and Hartlepool make up the top five unhealthiest areas, according to researchers from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and finance company Lane Clark & Peacock. The index uses factors such as life expectancy, obesity levels, smoking rates and unemployment levels to give each area of England a rating. After Blackpool was rated as the unhealthiest area in the country, Blackpool North and Cleveleys MP Paul Maynard said issues like housing had to be looked at to tackle the inequality. Yorkshire & The Humber, the North West and the North East - which was found to be the least healthy area - made up the bottom three.

Source: Daily Mirror March 01, 2021 11:39 UTC