THE number of children classed as severely obese is among the highest in the country .

Bury saw a sharp rise in the numbers of Year Six children classed as dangerously overweight in 2017/18 ­— and was far higher than the national average.

Figures released by NHS Digital show that 5.7 per cent of primary school leavers were found to be severely obese compared to 4.5 per cent in 2016/17.

The borough had the third highest prevalence of severely obese youngsters in Greater Manchester.

Salford recorded a 5.9 per cent prevalence and Manchester 6.5 per cent.

Figures also show that one in five youngsters were at obese or severely obese.

Nationally the levels of severe obesity among Year 6 children have hit a record high.

The latest data from the National Child Measurement Programme, overseen by Public Health England (PHE), shows 4.2 per cent of 10 and 11-year-olds in England were defined as severely obese last year.

Childhood obesity rates in the most deprived areas are more than double that of those in the least deprived areas, the figures also show.

Public Health Minister Steve Brine said: "Obesity is a problem that has been decades in the making - one that will take significant effort across government, schools, families and wider society to address.

"We cannot expect to see a reversal in trends overnight - but we have been clear that we are willing to do whatever it takes to keep children healthy and well in this country.

"We have already removed tonnes of sugar from children's diets through the sugar tax, which has funded vital school sports and breakfast programmes, and this summer we announced the second chapter of our childhood obesity strategy with a series of bold plans to halve child obesity by 2030."