MORE than 150 people suffered unnecessary 'deaths of despair' in Warrington over a three-year period, new analysis has found.

The team behind the study called for greater action to prevent deaths from drugs, alcohol and suicide, and said that the Government must improve the inequalities found across England.

Researchers from the University of Manchester analysed coroners' court records from 2019 to 2021.

Their analysis showed 46,200 people lost their lives due to drugs, alcohol or suicide in England – the equivalent of 42 people per day.

In Warrington, there were 88 deaths linked to alcohol, 43 caused by drugs and 42 suicides reported during the same period – which includes the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

In total, there were 173 'deaths of despair' – a collective term for deaths from these causes.

It meant the town was ranked 143rd out of 308 local authorities in England, with a mortality rate of 32.4 deaths per 100,000 people.

Blackpool experienced the highest rate of deaths of despair, with 83.8, followed by Middlesbrough and Hartlepool.

Of the 20 areas with the highest rates, 16 were in the north of England.

Barnet, in north London, had the lowest rate at 14.5, followed by Bromley in Greater London and Thurrock in Essex.

The study found areas with higher proportions of unemployment, white British ethnicity and people living alone had higher mortality rates.

Urban and economically inactive areas also tended to have higher rates.

Nat Travis, national head of service at health and social care provider Turning Point, said the research ‘highlights the need for continued Government investment into treatment services’.

"What we often see is more people coming to us at a later stage when they are far more unwell, which makes it harder to undo the damage that has already been done due to substance use," she said.

"This is why it is so important that services are well-funded and have the resources to be able to access all areas."

A spokesman for the Department for Health and Social Care said: "The Government is committed to narrowing the gap in healthy life expectancy by 2030, and to increasing healthy life expectancy by five years by 2035.

"Spending on mental health has increased by more than £4.5billion in cash terms since 2018-19.

"We have published a 10-year plan for tackling drug and alcohol-related harms and are investing an extra £532million between 2022-23 to 2024-25.

"Our ambitious plans for a smoke-free generation will also save tens of thousands of lives."