PEOPLE living in parts of Halliwell are more than twice as likely to die of heart disease than those living in Bradshaw.

The shock figures have been released by health chiefs to encourage more people to have The BIG Bolton Health Check.

Statistics reveal people in Halliwell are 85 per cent more likely to die of circulatory disease than the average North-west resident, while those living in Bradshaw, Bromley Cross and Astley Bridge are 14 per cent less likely to die from the condition than average North-west residents.

Admissions to hospital because of heart disease are also 50 per cent more likely in residents from Halliwell and parts of Farnworth than the North-west average, compared to 22 per cent less likely in the affluent areas of the borough.

The number of people admitted to hospital because of chest pain, strokes and heart failure are also much higher in Halliwell - which is one of Bolton's poorest districts - than richer parts of Bolton or the North-west.

Lesley Jones, a public health specialist at Bolton Primary Care Trust, said: "People are dying before their time from illnesses such as heart disease that we know we can treat and prevent.

"Although most people know the basic health promotion messages about healthy eating, being physically active and not smoking it is often much more difficult for people living in deprived areas to make positive changes.

"They might not have good access to shops selling affordable fruit and vegetables, they might not have access to childcare to enable them to go out and be active and it can also be much harder for people to quit smoking if most of the people they know smoke."

Figures show the life-expectancy of residents in the poorer areas of the borough is an average of 67.5 years, while those living in the more affluent areas of Bolton have an average life-expectancy of 82.1 years.

Ms Jones said: "People living in the more affluent areas of the borough can enjoy up to 15 years longer than people in the more deprived areas of Bolton. We want to change all this.

"It is now possible for us to identify people who have a high risk of developing heart and circulatory diseases before they notice any symptoms and there are very effective and simple treatments available to reduce their risk and prevent future problems.

"Spending 10 minutes having a health check could give people an extra 10 years."