A WAR on diabetes has been declared by health bosses as the number of people with the illness in Bolton outstrips the national average.

A form of diabetes linked to poor lifestyles has been blamed for the prevalence of the disease in the town.

And with figures showing 10,230 people having the illness in Bolton - 3.4 per cent of the town's population - health professionals have vowed to kick start a fresh awareness campaign. The national average is 3.2 per cent.

Information and advice sessons are being held across Bolton with some sessions being conducted in Asian languages.

It is felt patients diagnosed with Type Two diabetes often feel they do not know enough about the illness and how to manage it, and may not know where to go for reliable information. The new drive aims to rectify that.

Type Two diabetes is caused through poor lifestyles and is usually managed through a healthy diet, exercise, tablets or insulin injections.

The Bolton Primary Care Trust has arranged a series of two hour sessions - during the day and evening and at different locations, to suit a range of people.

There will also be a women-only session delivered in Gujerati next month.

The sessions provide information about the disease and its treatments and complications. It will advise and support people on how best to control their diabetes through diet, exercise and lifestyle.

They are said to be suitable for newly diagnosed patients, and those who have had the disease for a while but want to understand it better.

Hannah Dobrowolska, PCT lead for Diabetes and Heart Disease, said: "With increasing numbers of Bolton people living with diabetes, more information and education is very much in demand. It benefits people with diabetes who feel more in control and better able to manage their condition."

If diabetes is not controlled properly, over a period of time it can result in blindness, kidney failure and ulcerated feet and legs, which, if not treated early enough, can lead to amputation.

For more information people should speak to their GP or practice nurse, or phone the Bolton Diabetes Centre on 01204 522814.