DAMNING statistics on the number of violence-related hospital admissions put Blackburn and Darwen among the worst in the North West.

Despite an improvement in the numbers over the last five years, the area is fifth in the region, fairing little better nationally, being rated sixth worst in the country.

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The figures, published by Public Health England, come from hospital admissions data around the country, including acute hospitals, primary care trusts and mental health trusts.

They show that for the period 2012-13 to 2014-15, for every 100,000 people, 98 were admitted to hospital with injuries resulting from violent incidents, including sexual violence – a total of 458 people.

In the North West only Liverpool, Blackpool, St Helens and Knowsley had higher rates than Blackburn and Darwen. Liverpool’s figures were more than four times those for this area.

However, no breakdown of the statistics is available to show whether the local figures might be skewed by admissions from outside the area such as Burnley.

Russ McLean, chairman of the Patient Voices Group in Blackburn, said: “My first reaction is one of alarm and I’d like to know why the figures are so high.

“My guess is that in this area there is a lot of deprivation and social problems, which might be contributing factors.

“There’s also an element of many members of the public who think it’s OK to go out for a drink, get in a fight and end up in A&E.

“But the NHS is a finite resource and people should think carefully about how they use it.”

Mr McLean said he was encouraged by the downward trend in the statistics but added that those who turned up at A&E who were drunk should go to the back of the queue.

Hyndburn MP Graham Jones said: “It’s saddening that people have to resort to physical abuse and the NHS has to pick up the cost of that violence.

“I wonder how much of this is drink-related or just people being intolerant of one another. I think we’re a long way off being as tolerant as other nations.”

Nationally there were 77,175 hospital admissions resulting from violence over a three year period from 2012 to 2015.

This is the equivalent of 47.5 for every 100,000 people and is a decrease of nine per cent compared with 2011-12 to 2013-14.

The East Lancashire NHS Hospital Trust was unavailable for comment.