A PATIENTS champion has called on the people of East Lancashire to lobby their representatives after new figures showed there were 14,333 more premature deaths in the north of England than the south.

The research, carried out by the University of Manchester, described the situation as a 'tale of two Englands' with people in the North 20 per cent more like to die early - under the age of 75 - than those in the South.

The study, said there were 14,333 more premature deaths in the north than the south in 2015, and 1.2 million more early deaths in the North from 1965 to 2015.

Deaths among middle-aged adults have been rising since the mid-1990s and there were 49% more among 35 to 44-year-olds in the north than the south in 2015, and 29 per cent more among 25 to 34-year-olds.

East Lancashire Patients' Voice Champion Russ McLean said although the figures were not surprising, it was about time something was done.

He said: "These figures alarm and annoy me. There's no secret that people in the south of England get more spent on them in terms of NHS and local government than people in the north.

"We have areas of social deprivation so MPs should really be in London fighting our cause more more funds.

"People are becoming more savvy about issues like health and they are recognising that until there is parity in funding between the north and south, this will only get worse.

"So I would tell people to speak to their councillors and MPs to make sure they campaign to get a better deal for people in East Lancashire."