It's Grim Reaper up North...

Life expectancy in Manchester now lower than almost anywhere else

- IAN JONES & PAUL BRITTON

PEOPLE living in Manchester die younger than almost anywhere else in England and Wales, according to new data published yesterday.

It suggests men in the city can expect to live for less than 75 years the second lowest in the two countries. For females, the city has the third lowest life expectancy, of 79.2 years.

The statistics paint a bleak picture of a huge disparity in life expectancy between local communities in the North and South of the country branded a "yawning gap" by experts.

Areas in southern England dominate the latest list for the highest life expectancy at birth, making up the entire top 10 for both males and females, while nowhere in the south appears in the 10 areas with the lowest life expectancy.

The figures have been published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and cover England, Wales and Northern Ireland.