MORE people are dying drug deaths in parts of East Lancashire than in the country's inner-cities, shock new statistics have revealed.

The areas served by East Lancashire Coroners' Court -- including Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale -- recorded 13.9 drug-related deaths per 100,000.

That equates to 25 deaths in the last year to drugs - compared with cities such as Manchester which recorded an 11.9per 100,000 rate.

Only Brighton and Hove had more deaths per 100,000, recording 51 in 2003.The figures, from the independent International Centre for Drug Policy based at St George's Hospital, London, come from coroners who participated in a survey it conducted.

Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley is not in the top ten, although its figures are also above average.

Blackburn with Darwen Primary Care Trust and Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Primary Care Trust both said they were working to improve access to drug support services.

And Blackburn with Darwen councillor and former Mayoress Moira Barrett, who lost a son to drugs after he inadvertently mixed alcohol, cannabis and mood tablets, said: "I don't want any one to suffer the way I did and I think the solution has to be educating children earlier and earlier." The majority of cases in the study were males and under the age of 45. Heroin, morphine and methadone accounted for the majority of deaths.

A spokesman for the centre said: "You have to take account of the of the local characteristics of the population.

"I think it is possible that, at a local level, prevention initiatives have been put in place and treatment options are more easily accessible."